Gazpacho is one of the delights of summer. It’s a cold soup, made with raw vegetables (usually). It has roots going back to at least Roman times. There are many variations of gazpacho. Here’s a recipe of mine, informed by several recipes found on the New York Times website (they’ve got a great selection of recipes, by the way). My recipe does not include bread, which many recipes include.
This recipe yields a little more than five one-cup servings.
First, combine the following ingredients in a bowl, then sparingly use an immersion blender to pulse blend to your desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, put everything in a regular large blender. Again, pulse blend sparingly, unless you want a really smooth consistency.
- 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped (or, if good tomatoes aren’t in season, I use a 28 ounce can of Muir Glen fire roasted crushed tomatoes; they’ve got a great rich flavor)
- 2 medium or 3 small stalks of celery, chopped
- 1/2 pepper, chopped (any color is fine; I prefer red or yellow peppers)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons good sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of hot sauce (adjust based on your taste and the heat of your hot sauce)
- ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup cold water
Next, mix in the following:
- 1/2 medium-sized cucumber, peeled then finely chopped
- 1/2 pepper, finely chopped (this will be the other half of the pepper used above)
- 1 large or 2 small thin slices of white onion, minced
Finally, chill the gazpacho well, for at least 5 to 6 hours. Gazpacho always tastes much better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to meld. So, if you have the time, make it a day ahead. Enjoy!