Refreshing Gazpacho
September 11, 2017
It’s hard to imagine a better way to use fresh, juicy tomatoes than to prepare a refreshing batch of gazpacho. Always served cold, gazpacho is a flavorful blend of raw summertime vegetables. This soup is very popular in Spain and Portugal but has become widely appreciated around the world.
Fresh Ingredients are Important
I began developing my own version of gazpacho by looking at a variety of available recipes. Some of those recipes used canned tomatoes, which is convenient if time is short. But as I learned on a recent trip to the Mediterranean region, the best restaurants there have onsite gardens because they demand only the freshest ingredients. Likewise, I’d rather devote the time needed to use fresh veggies, because I’m convinced it leads to a more flavorful soup. So I opted for vine-ripened tomatoes, the fresher the better. In practicing this recipe, I got my tomatoes from my backyard garden or from the produce stand that’s right around the corner from my home. They were red, ripe, juicy, and delicious!
And then I discovered some gazpacho recipes that blended the veggies — skins and all — but then strained the resulting mixture to remove the pulp. The result was a thin soup that lacked the texture I wanted. So I decided to peel and seed the veggies instead.
Some of the recipes I found also included stale bread, but I left it out. It did not seem to be needed, and its omission made the recipe gluten free (for those who must limit that ingredient). And then I added an avocado, an ingredient that is sometimes used as a garnish for gazpacho but is not normally included in the blended soup. I experimented with it and enjoyed the flavor and texture that the avocado provided.
Use Sherry Vinegar
Traditional gazpacho also contains sherry vinegar. Sherry vinegar is a gourmet vinegar that’s made from sherry wine, and it’s produced in a particular region of Spain. These days it’s relatively easy to find sherry vinegar in well-stocked grocery stores, and your gazpacho will be much better if you use this special kind of vinegar. According to a blog post on Serious Eats, sherry vinegar deserves to be your one true vinegar. Take a look at this informative post for an excellent explanation of the different kinds of sherry vinegar and the process used to create this complex vinegar with bright acidity.
Chill Before Eating
Be sure to chill the blended soup for at least a couple of hours before eating it so that the flavors can blend. To serve the soup, top it with a garnish made of finely chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, and black olives.
Refreshing Gazpacho
- V
- VG
- GF
- DF
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh organic tomatoes, large size will work best
- 2 large organic cucumbers
- 2 large organic red bell peppers
- 1 large avocado
- 1 medium organic onion, sweet variety is best
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Hot sauce (optional)
- Pitted black olives for garnish
Method
- Wash the tomatoes and score the bottoms with a knife, creating an “x.” Drop the tomatoes into a pot of rapidly boiling water for about one minute. You will see the skins start to peel away.
- Remove the tomatoes from the pot and plunge them into cold water. Remove them from the water and peel the skin off the tomatoes. Cut them into quarters and remove the stem area and the seeds.
- Wash and peel the cucumbers. Cut them lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds. Reserve part of the cucumber and chop it finely to use for garnish.
- Wash and slice the red bell pepper, removing the seeds and stem. Reserve part of the bell pepper and chop it finely to use for garnish.
- Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh in chunks.
- Peel the onion and cut into quarters.
- Peel the garlic cloves. Mince them or use a garlic press.
- Put the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, avocado, onion, and garlic into a food processor or blender. (Depending on your blender, you might need to add a little water to get it started.) Blend until relatively smooth but retain some texture. Stir in the vinegar.
- Stir in the salt and pepper to taste. Add hot sauce if desired.
- Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours so that the tastes will blend.
- When serving, garnish with chopped black olives and with the reserved (chopped) bell pepper and cucumber.
About Me
Hi! My name is Leigh, and I'm a vegan chef living in the DC area. I specialize in whole-food, plant-based cuisine. Join me as I explore nutritious, delicious, compassionate cooking!
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