WW Recipe of the Day: Quick and Easy Gazpacho
I love gazpacho, especially during the summer, but I don't make it very often, probably because Rod's not a big fan, and if the quality of your tomatoes is anything less than terrific, the results can be disappointing.
That's where this quick and easy chunky gazpacho comes in.
Weight Watchers Easy Chunky Tomato Gazpacho
I first heard about it during a WW meeting I was subbing, when our receptionist shared it with the group, but then it totally slipped my mind, until I came across it while thumbing through one of my latest cookbook acquisitions: the Weight Watchers PointPlus Power Foods Cookbook (affiliate link).
There it was right before my very eyes: the quick and easy chunky gazpacho recipe she'd mentioned.
Weight Watchers Easy Chunky Gazpacho
I thought it would be perfect for this week's 38 Power Foods Group ingredient: tomatoes.
Our little group continues to chug along on our mission to blog our way through the ingredients featured in Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients (affiliate link) by Martha Stewart and the editors of Whole Living Magazine.
What gives tomatoes their "power food" status?
Tomatoes contain lots of vitamin C and beta-carotene; as well as a good amount of iron, potassium, fiber, and B vitamins. But it's the antioxidant, lycopene , that seems to provide the biggest health benefits. Because lycopene is located in the cell walls, you get more lycopene from processed or cooked tomatoes than you do from fresh ones.
So, while locally grown fresh tomatoes available at the peak of summer will always be a healthy tasty choice, canned tomatoes (as well as tomato juice, tomato soup, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, jarred salsa, and even ketchup) are delicious and healthy alternatives the rest of the year.
Recipe Notes
This quick and easy chunky gazpacho is a great example of just how yummy recipes made from canned tomatoes and tomato vegetable juice can be. I substituted Spicy V8 for low-sodium and skipped the jalapeño (because I didn't have one).
I also used sherry vinegar instead of balsamic, because I love it and it seemed more traditional, but I'm sure any vinegar would be fine.
Studies have shown the more often you eat soup, the more likely you are to lose weight because it helps you feel fuller on fewer calories. This is a great example of that research in action.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Simple Gazpacho?
According to my calculations, each generous 1-½-cup serving has 68 calories and:
1 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
1 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
1 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Recipe Variations
- Spicier
Add more chopped jalapeño, cayenne pepper or hot sauce. - Heartier>br>Top with any of the following—cooked shrimp or crab, croutons, chopped avocado, crumbled feta cheese, etc.
- Moroccan
Add rinsed and drained chickpeas, cumin and chopped golden raisins. - Southwestern
Add cumin, cilantro and lime juice.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you've made this Low Fat Gazpacho, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Weight Watchers Quick & Easy Chunky Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups reduced sodium tomato-vegetable juice, such as V-8
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, minced
- 1 cup minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper and vinegar, as necessary, before serving
Equipment
Recipe Notes
Source: Weight Watchers PointsPlus Power Foods Cookbook (affiliate link)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Links to More Weight Watchers Friendly Tomato Recipes:
- Weight Watchers Pico de Gallo (Fresh Tomato Salsa) - Simple-Nourished-Living
- Weight Watchers Chicken, Tomato and Feta Pasta - Simple-Nourished-Living
- Tomatoes, Basil & Brown Rice - Simple-Nourished-Living
- Heirloom Tomato Salad - SkinnyTaste
- BLT Pasta Salad - Kitchen Parade
- Tomato & Sausage Risotto - Emily Bites
- Sauteed Cauliflower and Tomatoes - Weight Watchers
- Shrimp with Zucchini & Tomatoes - Weight Watchers
Sources:
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Alyce Morgan
I'm sending this to my sister Helen; she's recently gone on WW.
Beautiful!
Martha
Thanks, Alyce! I hope your sister enjoys it. I actually modified my leftovers into a Moroccan gazpacho, adding
some spices, chickpeas and raisins that I plan on posting about soon.
Ansh
Beautiful. I am also considering joining weight watchers. It will help keep me sane 🙂
Martha
Thanks, Ansh. Weight Watchers is one of the best things I've ever done for myself. It's the sane, sensible approach to weight loss. I've come to think of my meetings as 30 minutes of sanity and grounding in what otherwise can be a crazy, extreme, out of control food world 🙂
Jeanette
I'm a big fan of gazpacho, but I agree, it's not worth making it unless you have the freshest, ripest in season tomatoes. Wish I had a bowl right now!
Alyssa (Everyday Maven)
I agree 100% - it is only worth eating during the peak of tomato season. A seasonal favorite! Thanks for including my recipe in your links! 🙂
Mireya Merritt
My son, who has always loved gazpacho, and who is away to college has just discovered the how quick and easy it is to make gazpacho.
SusieMA
I haven't made this yet but hope to....I can't find sherry vinegar. I love the flavor of sherry in anything so hoping to find some soon.
Martha McKinnon
In the meantime, red wine vinegar would be a good substitution. ~Martha