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Gazpacho with blemished vegetables
Chef Jagger Sean Gordon shows the gazpacho he made with blemished vegetables.
: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
SAHAANA RANGANATHAN
Toronto Metropolitan University Master of Journalism graduate with a passion for community-based storytelling. Currently living in the Annex. Always down to get matcha or milk tea.
ANTHONY LIPPA-HARDY
Mississauga native currently studying journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University. Loves to explore different visual mediums to tell impactful stories that need to be seen.
Sept. 18, 2025
With files from Lucas Bustinski and Amartya Smaran.
For chef Jagger Sean Gordon, ugly vegetables don't belong in the trash bin.
“I came from a broken home. Food insecurity was a big part of my life. I chose to make a difference in other people's lives by reducing food waste,” says Gordon.
That’s why he chose to share a gazpacho recipe. “It's basically just emptying out your fridge, putting it in a blender and adding flavors.”
You can watch Gordon make his recipe in the video, download a PDF of the recipe, or scroll down for the step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients
To make this recipe, you can use any leftover vegetables in your fridge. Chef Gordon suggests:
- 1 kg ripe Roma or cherry tomatoes, halved and cored
- 1 small cucumber, peeled
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cored
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled
- 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Chives for garnish
- Optional garnishes: Homemade croutons, chopped fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, or any leftover chopped ingredients
Chef Jagger Sean Gordon toasts nuts and spices with a blowtorch. Don't try this at home. You can use your stovetop or oven.
: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
Step 1: Blend the ingredients
Look in your fridge and collect any blemished vegetables you need to use, or use the vegetables listed above.
Roughly chop the ingredients so it's easier to blend them together.
Combine everything in a blender or food processor.
Puree for one minute, or until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
Step 2: Season
Chef Gordon recommends including essential ingredients to enhance flavour, such as garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, vinegar, olive oil. You can also include pumpkin seeds, spices tajin, or different sauces like Worcestershire.
Remember to taste along the way and adjust seasonings accordingly.
Step 3: Chill the soup
Refrigerate in a sealed container for three to four hours, or until completely chilled.
Step 4: Serve
You can serve cold, topped with your desired garnishes.
This could include fresh herbs or left over vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds.
Cost breakdown
You're meant to use whatever is already in your fridge for this recipe. If you need a shopping list, the below is just an estimation based on what's available in different stores across the city:
- 4 Roma tomatoes - $3.08
- A box of cherry tomatoes - $1.98
- A cucumber - $1.24
- Green bell pepper - $2.94
- Garlic - $1.31
- A bottle of extra virgin olive oil - $14
- A bottle of white wine vinegar - $4.50
- A small bag of black pepper - $2.47
- A small bag of ground cumin - $2.47
- A bag of bread - $3.78
About the chef
Chef Jagger Sean Gordon is passionate about creating zero food waste.
So he founded Feed it Forward, a nonprofit that aims to help people in need access nutritious food. The organization does this through an app where people can post pictures of free food, information detailing the quantity, as well as pick-up time and location. Anyone using the app can access this food. Feed it Forward also operates a pay-what-you-can grocery store, where customers can buy groceries based on their budget.
You can read more about Feed it Forward's model in our feature story and video, in collaboration with CityNews.
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