Traditional Tomato Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a cold, uncooked vegetable soup that relies on the quality of raw tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers emulsified with high-quality olive oil and bread. It is best made a day in advance, allowing the vinegar and salt to draw the juices out of the vegetables, creating a texture that is thick enough to coat a spoon.
Wait for summer tomatoes
This soup lives and dies by the ripeness of the tomatoes; if they aren't bleeding juice when you cut them, the flavor will be flat. Use a sturdy blender to achieve the correct velvet-like consistency.
- High-speed blender
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Large mixing bowl
What goes in.
- 3 lbripe plum or beefsteak tomatoes, chopped
- 1large cucumber, peeled and seeded
- 1green bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
- 1/2small red onion, roughly chopped
- 1garlic clove, peeled
- 2 ozday-old sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 1/2 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbspsherry vinegar
- 1 tspkosher salt
Stream in the oil
With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the tomato mixture to create a stable emulsion, changing the soup from thin red water to a pale, creamy orange liquid.
The method.
Combine vegetables
Place the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and garlic into the blender jar. Pulse until chunky.
Add bread and acid
Add the bread, vinegar, and salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the bread softens completely.
Blend and emulsify
Blend on high for two full minutes. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture appears uniform.
Strain
Pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using the back of a ladle to press out every drop of liquid. Discard the remaining skins and seeds.
Chill
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavor to settle.
Other turns to take.
Cherry Tomato Gazpacho
Use only yellow and red cherry tomatoes for a sweeter, more acidic profile.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Replace one pound of tomatoes with fresh watermelon to lighten the body and add a cooling finish.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use room-temperature tomatoes when blending; they release flavor more easily than cold ones.
If the soup is too thick after chilling, stir in a tablespoon of cold water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Taste the soup right before serving; raw vegetables vary in sugar and acidity, so you may need a final drop of vinegar or a pinch of salt.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a food processor?
You can, but the texture will be grainy. A blender is necessary to get the silkiness required for a proper gazpacho.
Do I have to peel the cucumbers?
Yes, unless they are small Persian cucumbers. The skin can be bitter and will remain in the soup even after straining.
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