The tomato is undoubtedly the garden VIP of summer, and this Gazpacho is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the season’s hottest celeb. I’m not a fan of chunky Gazpacho- to me, it’s like eating a bowl of salsa. I’ll save the picante sauce for my chips, thank you very much! This recipe, adapted from The New York Times, is a more refined version of the classic Spanish chilled soup. It’s super smooth and luxurious thanks to a thorough spin in the Vitamix and a hefty dose of extra virgin olive oil. If your blender or food processor is strong enough, there should be no need to strain this soup (as it’s written in the NYT). However, if you are noticing that the texture is a little too coarse, try straining the blended soup through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl before returning it to the blender and adding the oil. Go easy while drizzling the olive oil in- pouring the EVOO in a slow, steady stream helps the soup to emulsify (like a salad dressing) and gives it a rich, velvety texture. If you feel that the Gazpacho is too watery, add a little more oil. Instead of spooning this from a bowl, I prefer sipping the mixture out of a chilled glass. It’s a perfect on-the-go or picnic offering. I also like to serve it in little shooter glasses as a light appetizer: partner it with some melon wrapped in Jamon Serrano and a bowl of marcona almonds and you have an instant Spanish themed cocktail spread! This dish is better after it has chilled overnight and will last a few days in the fridge- it’s great to make ahead of time for a party or just to have on hand for lunches and snacks during the week. I have even had it for breakfast! I hope you will try this simple Gazpacho recipe pronto- it’s such a refreshing and delicious treat on a hot, summer’s day.
prep time: 15 min. cook time: 6-24 hrs (includes chill time) serves: makes about 1 quart
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs red ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 long, light green pepper (such as cubanelle or anaheim), seeded and cut into chunks
1-8” cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic
½ jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
2 tsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp salt
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more as needed
Flaky salt, such as Maldon
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the tomatoes, green pepper, cucumber, shallot, garlic, jalapeno, paprika, salt, and sherry vinegar in the bowl of a high power blender or food processor. Blend on high until very smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running, until the mixture is bright orange, smooth, and completely emulsified. If it seems too watery, drizzle a little more olive oil in until it reaches the consistency you desire. Transfer the soup to a pitcher and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. Serve in glasses to sip or in bowls with spoons, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with some flaky salt on top. Makes about 1 quart.