Gazpacho
With summer on the way and tomatoes ripening, why not enjoy a cool soup before dinner with friends.
Originating from the Andalusia region of southern Spain, gazpacho is traditionally made from a mixture of puréed tomatoes and other ingredients such as cucumber, sweet bell peppers, onions, garlic, and olive oil. But you can also make fruit-based gazpacho with melons, or cucumber-based gazpacho.
Although the recipe only shows 15 minutes prep time, you might make it in the early afternoon before your evening meal and chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend. Be sure to stir well before serving and topping with the croutons.
Total Time: 15 minutes Serves: 4
- 2 large, ripe, juicy tomatoes, cored
- 1 shallot
- 2 Persian cucumbers, or 1 medium Kirby cucumber, seeded and peeled
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
- 1½ cloves garlic
- 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
- ½ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 cups roughly torn sourdough bread without crust
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil leaves
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roughly chop tomatoes, shallot, cucumbers, celery, bell pepper and garlic, then place in a food processor. Purée until vegetables are finely minced and soupy. Pulse in vinegar and lemon juice, and season to taste with salt, pepper and Worcestershire. Pulse in half the oil. Refrigerate soup until chilled, at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss sourdough pieces with enough of the remaining oil so that bread is well saturated. Season with salt, and spread on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
- Ladle chilled gazpacho into bowls and garnish with croutons and basil. Drizzle with additional olive oil, season with salt and serve.