Breadless Gazpacho
Time: 7 hours | Serves: 4 Nature: Very Cool | Flavor: Sour, Acrid
Recipe Source: Julia Moskin at NY Times Cooking
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ripe, red tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
- 1 long light green pepper (Anaheim or Cubanelle, nothing too spicy and not bell pepper)
- 1 8-inch cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 small white onion, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup high-quality, extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoons sherry or red wine vinegar
- Salt
Directions
Build the Base: Combine tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion, and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. You should work in batches if your blender is small. Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
Create the Texture: With the blender running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will change color and become smooth like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until it becomes creamy.
Expand the Flavor: Strain the mixture through a tight mesh strainer, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Don't skip the strain. The final flavour and mouthfeel are dependent on removing the flatter flavours from the tomato and pepper skins. Transfer to a large pitcher or glass bowl and chill until very cold, 6 hours or overnight.
Finish and Serve: Before serving, check the salt and vinegar levels. Often foods served cold will need more salt than ones served warm. The flavours should be robust, but you shouldn't taste the salt itself. Also, there should be a clear acidity to the soup, but it shouldn't make you wince. Serve in chilled bowls or mugs and if soup seems tight, add some ice water to loosen it up. Drizzle a little olive oil on top.
Ideas for Serving
Gazpacho makes a great light meal on a hot day when you're not that hungry. Serve with some toasted bread or a simple sandwich to round up the meal into something more substantial. You can also add some small diced cucumber and tomato pieces to the finished soup to add some more texture and a toothsome quality.
Gazpacho Notes
Gazpacho is a soup traditional to Spain and Portugal with its origins in the hot regions of the southern Iberian peninsula. Because it is made from seasonal, raw vegetables that are cooling and moist in nature, it is a great compliment to hot and dry summers. The classic recipes are some combination of tomato, pepper, garlic, and onion blended with vinegar and olive oil with the body of the soup usually built from soaked stale bread. History points to Roman origin for this soup as a way to use up stale bread and to create a hearty meal for shepherds who were on the move or far from home at lunch time.