Gazpacho Burger w/ Veggie Diesel Couli

Summer is upon us. Gazpacho season. So get your blenders ready cuz it’s about time to open fire. Everybody has their own recipe for that ubiquitous summer soup that’s easy to make “well” but hard to get just right. So you also know that there is, without fail, always about 2 cups too much of the stuff lurking in the fridge three days after because everyone’s tired of cold soup.
Invention is indeed the mother of necessity friends, and Hot Knives are like the Frank Zappa of leftovers (OK that analogy ran away from us).
Take your leftover Gazpacho–whatever recipe you swear by–and turn it into a whole other meal, in these easy steps…
2 cups leftover gazpacho
4 hamburger buns
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Condiments of choice
Throw the soup in a blender or food processor, especially if you’re one of these chunky gazpacho dudes. Put soup on thorough blend for 1 minute. Place a sieve or fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl and dump the blended soup into it. Using a large spoon, masher or mallet, apply pressure to the mixture to press all the liquid out of the vegetable bits. This may take a few minutes, so be patient. The goal is to strain all the liquid into the bowl, leaving just a squishy mash of vegetable. Dump this into another large mixing bowl, and set liquid aside.
Add the onion, egg and bread crumbs to the veggie remains and form into patties. It should make 4 smallish patties. Season appropriately.
In a large skillet heat the oil. Gently slide patties into the pan and turn every 2 minutes with a spatula, being careful not to squish them. Fry twice on each side for a golden crispness. Then remove, blot, and serve on toasted bun with condiments of your choice.
The liquid you’ve saved is essentially a gazpacho couli (meaning any strained liquid) though you may want to give it another strain for good measure (if you have cheese cloth this is the time to use it!) Serve still chilled in glass cups.