Golden Sunflower Gazpacho | V / August 10, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Golden Sunflower Gazpacho | dolly and oatmeal #vegan

i try to balance the recipes out on this blog. so when i go to my recipe index and see there's a void, where in other categories there's not, i try to remedy it. the soup category, despite me loving and making it year round, inevitably gets neglected. most times when i make a soup i'm just throwing together what i have leftover in the fridge, or something i have too much of. generally, it's not a full baked concept, but more an off-the-cuff idea. i also tend to keep the ingredients to a minimum. so, depending on the season, some sort of allium is sautéed with garlic, then there's the star veg, some herbs and/or spices; and lastly, a creamy element: tahini paste, coconut yogurt, soaked seeds/nuts, or a good full-fat coconut milk. there are usually less than 10 ingredients involved and not much work, mostly just standing around a pot stirring, and then the final blend. i think this is where my brain comes in and says, this recipe is too basic to post!

but today i'm not listening to my brain because my mouth is way happy with this gazpacho not to share it! it's full of the golden-hued beauty that makes up late summer: sweet corn, yellow & sungold tomatoes. i've combined these two before, but to make it all a bit thicker and creamier, i added some soaked sunflower seeds which transformed a generally thin, runny gazpacho into a more full-bodied and substantial gazpacho, which clearly, i'm all about today! it makes all the difference between a gazpacho that can sometimes taste like a purified salad, and a cool, creamy summer soup.

wishing you all a bright summer week! xo

golden sunflower gazpacho | v

| makes 4 servings |

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 4 hours
1 1/2 pounds yellow or sungold tomatoes (or a combination of both)
3 ears fresh corn (about 2 cups)
1 small onion (about 3/4 cup), diced
1 large garlic clove, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
fine sea salt & fresh pepper, to taste

toppings:

unsweetened coconut yogurt
fresh cilantro leaves
toasted sunflower seeds
nasturtium flowers
fresh pepper

method

drain and rinse the sunflower seeds and set them aside.
core the tomatoes and place in the container of a high-speed blender (if you're using sungolds there is no need to core them). cut the kernels away from each corn cob, and place in the blender as well. to the blender add, the onion, garlic, vinegar, oil, sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. blend on high for 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as you go until you get a silky smooth consistency. taste and adjust the salt and/or vinegar.
refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
serve chilled with a dollop of yogurt, toasted sunflower seeds, cilantro, and a nasturtium bloom (optional).

enjoy!

similar recipes:

creamy broccoli rabe soup w/ yogurt & crispy quinoa

carrot gazpacho with lemongrass / March 30, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

carrot gazpacho with lemongrass | dolly and oatmeal

i know last week i talked about the spring cookbook season, but we're getting into the thick of here! love & lemons is one of the first internet food spaces i visited and became a fan of before i even had a blog of my own. i always admired jeanine's simple, easily prepared but flavorful dishes, and her husband's light, bright, and airy photography. their book, the love & lemons cookbook, is the best kind of extension from their blog that they create together - thoughtful, charming design, and heavy on beautiful food photos. my favorite part (which gave me actual goosebumps!) is where jeanine lays out recipe diagrams in the back of the book. among others, there's one for pesto with variations including: traditional, pepita, zucchini, and mint. it's quite possibly the most fun and inventive thing i've seen in a cookbook in a long while!

truth be told i've never made a gazpacho. i've surely eaten my fair share, but making a cold soup never appealed to me for some reason. perhaps i never came across the right recipe, or maybe i have too much nostalgia for simmering veggies over a hot stove. but you can totally count me as a gazpacho convert now. first of all, it's super easy on the prep, "cook", and cleanup - which are waaaay important for us all, i'm sure. secondly, i thought that the raw-ness of the soup wouldn't make for that soup-y aroma i know and love, the one that fills your house with cozy scents. so i was pleasantly surprised when i left my kitchen and came back in to a waft of fragrant sweet carrots, a hint of aromatic lemongrass, and punchy curry paste. i cannot wait to dig in to more of this book and explore more of what i've been missing these years!

xo's!

*ps there's still time to enter last week's giveaway of autumn giles book, beyond canning. the giveaway ends this friday at 5pm.

carrot gazpacho with lemongrass | v + gf

since i never made a gazpacho before, i followed jeanine's recipe exactly. the only addition i did make was adding some crushed red pepper to the garnish just for a little extra heat.

| serves 4 |

1 stalk lemongrass
16 ounces (450 g) peak-season carrots, peeled and slices, about 2 bunches
1 (14-ounce/414-mL) can light or full-fat coconut milk; reserve 1/4 cup for garnish
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons (30 mL) sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon (5 mL) red curry paste
1/2 cup (125 mL) filtered water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

optional garnishes

hemp seeds
pepitas
microgreens
drizzles of coconut milk

method

prepare the lemongrass by cutting off the root end and the tough upper stem of the stalk. remove the one or two layers of outer leaves and finely chop the tender, aromatic part of the lemongrass.
using a high-speed blender, combine the lemongrass, carrots, coconut milk, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar, red curry paste, water, and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. blend until smooth. if you're not using a high-speed blender like a vitamix, strain the soup and blend again until completely smooth.
chill for at least 4 hours. if the soups thickens in the fridge, stir in a little more cold water. add more salt and pepper, to taste.
drizzle with olive oil and serve with desired garnishes.

enjoy!