Crockpot Summer Soup

(picture to come)

If you're anything like me, the Fall and Winter is synonymous with crockpot cooking!  Then, it sits on the shelf collecting dust from April until September.  Not so fast!  Today I want to share a summer-friendly recipe you can throw together in the morning, head off to work (or the beach), and come home to in the evening without having to turn your oven on in this hot and humid weather.  Not a bad idea, right?

This recipe is healthy, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and made with seasonal ingredients to take advantage of the best prices and fresh produce.  It's a hot-to-cold soup; otherwise known as gazpacho if you want to sound fancy.  ;-)

 

Crockpot Summer Soup (served cold)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups cucumber
  • 2 cups tomatoes, any kind
  • 2 cups sweet bell peppers, any color
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 avocado
  • water
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients except water and avocado in your crockpot. 
  2. Add water until all vegetables are covered, plus an extra 1/2 inch.
  3. Set crockpot on a low setting for 6 hours.
  4. Add avocado and use immersion blender (or transfer all ingredients into the blender in batches). 
  5. Blend until smooth.  Add more water if needed for texture.
  6. This can be served warm as is, or placed in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and served as a summer soup / gazpacho.

Want to make this social-media-picture-friendly?  Top with fresh herbs, sliced avocado, and a drizzle of olive oil.  That'll do it!

Show me your finished products!  Tag me at TaraAllenHealth on Facebook or @Tara_Allen_Health on Instagram.  Drop me a comment and let me know what you thought of this one.