A Salad You Can Eat With A Spoon
Gazpacho is a perfect summer soup, and there are so many ways to tweak it to make it your own creation!
So start out using this recipe as a base. Taste as you go, of course at the end, and then finally get feedback from the people you’re serving this for.
Remember that you can take this soup in many directions based on the flavor profiles you happen to prefer, so take those creative suggestions to heart and see what delicious directions they lead in!
You’ll Need:
- ~2 pounds ripe red tomatoes (~4 large ones), chopped
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
What To Do:
- Basically, some of your veggies will be pureed to make the soup matrix. The rest will become the chunky portion inside the soup itself. This is the first real spot where you can decide how to personalize your gazpacho. How chunky/smooth do you want it to be?
- Add half of the tomato chunks to the blender cup/bowl, and reserve the other half.
- Add all of the onion chunks to the blender.
- Add half of the cucumber to the blender, and reserve that last half.
- Add half of the bell pepper to the blender, finely chop and reserve the other half.
- Now add the remaining ingredients to the blender (the amount of pepper is another decision point on your part, but let’s start with about 10 good turns on a grinder to start with)
- Puree the mixture until completely smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the chunks of tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper into the blender, and just pulse briefly until the ingredients are broken up into small pieces. Stop there, or blend a little longer if you prefer smaller pieces.
- Taste and correct for salt. Chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- Before serving, taste again, and add additional salt or pepper. To serve, divide the soup into small bowls or cups, and top with the reserved cucumber and bell pepper. Top with a few tiny or torn basil leaves and a light sprinkle of pepper. Leftover servings keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days.
Notes:
This classic Spanish-style gazpacho does not use bread as a thickener, relying instead on blending the vegetables with olive oil to create a rich, creamy texture and body.
The texture is just as important as the flavor. And you may not know how chunky or smooth you like it, so start out in the middle and then play with it over time.
Don’t skip the cooling portion. By letting the flavors “think about themselves” for 2 hours, they have a chance to meld and deepen.
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