Beet & Tomato Gazpacho w/Shrimp
Makes approx. 4-5 Servings, Main Meal
Makes approx. 10-12 Servings, Appetizer
Ingredients
1 (15.5 oz) Jar, Cut Beets, in Vinaigrette
4 small-medium sized, Tomatoes
2 Celery Stalks
1/2 White Onion, grilled or sautéed
1 Large, Seedless Cucumber
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Teaspoons, Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 Cup, Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons, Balsamic Vinegar
6 Leaves, Fresh Basil
1/4 Cup, Fresh Cilantro
S&P
Garnishes:
8 Shrimp, uncooked
- 2 Tablespoons, Fresh Cilantro
- S&P
- 1 Garlic Clove, sliced thin
- Drizzle, Olive Oil
1/4 Cup, Greek Yogurt
Handful, Watercress
1/2 Cup, Seedless Cucumber, diced
Instructions
Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving tails on. Pat dry with a paper towel. Drizzle the shrimp w/Olive Oil. Season with fresh Cilantro, Garlic, S&P. Set aside to marinate.
Grill or Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Remove the stems from the tomatoes and cut the into quarters. Trim the ends off the celery, clean them and cut into large pieces. Peel the cucumber, remove any seeds and cut into chunks. Place all of these veggies into a food processor or blender. Add about 3 Tablespoons of the Vinaigrette (from the jar of beets) to the processor; discard the rest of the juice.
Add the minced garlic, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Basil and Cilantro to the processor or blender. Puree all the ingredients until nice and smooth. Season with S&P and mix again. If your Gazpacho is too thick, you can add more Olive Oil or even water or crushed ice. Place in fridge to chill.
Veggies: about to get pureed
While the Gazpacho is chilling, make the shrimp. You can grill them or sauté them. I cooked my shrimp in cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet on the stove over medium heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add a drizzle of olive oil. Once oil is heated, add the shrimp along with all the cilantro and garlic on it. Cook on each side only for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan, set shrimp aside. The shrimp can be served in the Gazpacho room temperature or cold.
Prepare garnish for Gazpacho: peel, cube up the cucumber (removing any seeds). Place the Yogurt into a small baggie or piping bag w/tip.
Remove the Gazpacho from the fridge. Give it another pulse or two, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour the Gazpacho into soup bowls. Place a small amount of the diced cucumber in the center of each bowl. Top each Gazpacho with 2 shrimp. Place a few sprigs of the watercress in each bowl. Lastly, pipe the yogurt into each Gazpacho. I piped 5 dots of Yogurt around the bowl.
Beet & Tomato Gazpacho
Serve with a nice hearty bread or any sides you like.
Mangia! Enjoy!
Notes
If you like the Vinaigrette that is in the jar with the beets, you can add more of it to the Gazpacho. I recommend tasting it first. I found the jar of beets at Trader Joe’s Supermarket but I am sure most supermarkets carry some type of jarred beets.
Feel free to play around with different veggies in this Gazpacho. Normally I wouldn’t add Cilantro and Basil together but they worked really well together in this recipe. It was delicious!
You can also add anything you like for garnish. If you do not like Shrimp, you could add some chopped or shredded chicken. My roasted Chickpeas would also go great on this Gazpacho and add a nice crunch to it. You can’t go wrong, add whatever you like!