Summer is in full swing and there is nothing I love more than chilled soups to cool off with on a hot day.
And there is no better way to sample the wide variety of amazing fresh vegetables that are available this time of year than to make a big batch of Gazpacho.
Gazpacho is a chilled tomato soup originally from Spain that differs a little from region to region. Many recipes have bread added to them to act as a thickener but my favorite is from Andalusia where there is usually no bread in the soup but is often times garnished with some fresh croutons.
To get started you will need to gather the following ingredients:
- 2 red bell peppers, peeled and diced
- 12 very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 red onions, diced
- 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 T. parsley, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 T. chives or scallions
- 1/2 C. red wine vinegar
- 1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 t. sugar
- 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
- 12 drops Tabasco
- 2 t. Worcestershire sauce
- 8 C. tomato juice
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
There is no cooking involved in this recipe except for blanching the tomatoes so that they can be peeled but you will need a food processor to puree the ingredients.
It is very important to work in batches and combining only similar colored vegetables as you go to ensure a beautiful color and flavor to the final product.
First batch is the peppers and the tomatoes. Add them to your food processor and pulse a few times, scrape the sides once and then puree until almost smooth but still with a little texture.
Remove them from the food processor to a large mixing bowl. Next process the red onions all by themselves and add to the mixing bowl. Last batch is the cucumbers, celery, parsley, garlic and chives or scallions depending on which you are using.
Once they are processed add them to the mixing bowl with the other pureed vegetables. Now add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar, lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire, tomato juice, salt and pepper.
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Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight to let the flavors develop. Remove your Gazpacho from the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving … Enjoy!
Josh Auerhammer is the chef/owner at the Culinary Design Studio in Bigfork.