Recipe video above. If the thought of this chilled Spanish soup conjures up visions of watery, bland, pureed vegetables, think again! Fabulous refreshing and full of flavour. Marinating isn't traditional but does improve flavour. So it's recommended, especially if you use economical vinegar or if your tomatoes aren't farm-fresh-ripe-and-sweet (ie typical tomatoes from everyday grocery stores....)This version has no bread in it - it's thick enough as is, I find. Serve with crusty bread on the side, for dunking. Fabulous meal for a hot summer day!Serves 3 hearty appetites, 4 normal appetites (with bread for dunking).
1 kg / 2 lbripe tomatoes(~7), cut into 8 wedges, core removed
1cucumber (20cm/8" long), peeled and diced into 1cm / 1/2" cubes
1red capsicum/bell pepper, cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2" cubes
2garlic cloves, chopped
1/4cupred onion, finely diced (Note 1)
1/4cupextra virgin olive oil, + extra for serving
1 1/2tbspsherry vinegar(sub white wine or champagne vinegar)
3/4tspcooking/kosher salt
1/2tspblack pepper
Serving:
Crusty bread
Cucumber, cut into small cubes (optional)
Instructions
Marinate - Toss all the gazpacho ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover then set aside to marinate, preferably 12 to 24 hours, or at least 3 hours. (Note 3)
Blitz - Transfer everything into a blender and blitz on high until smooth. (Or use a tall jug with a hand blender). For 100% perfectly smooth, pass through a fine mesh strainer or food mill and discard solids (Note 2)
Serve - Pour into a bowl. Rest for 15 minutes to let the bubbles subside. Stir, then ladle into bowls.
Garnish - Top with diced cucumber, if using, and a swish of olive oil. Serve with crusty bread!
Notes
1. Red onion - I know it's unusual to see red onion listed using a cup measure. But it makes a difference here. Too much = too onion-y. Too little, and it's missing zing. Chop and measure!2. Smooth vs slightly grainy (my preference) - If you make it completely smooth, I find it makes it seem more like a cold drink rather than a soup as a meal. I actually like it with a bit of texture in the finished dish. Reminds me I'm eating a meal rather than drinking a Bloody Mary!3. Marinating - If you don't have time, make this anyway with an extra 2 tbsp of olive oil to compensate! But be sure to chill the finished soup before serving because it's best served cold. Not fridge-ice-cold, not at room temperature. Somewhere in between.4. Leftovers will keep overnight. Beyond this, I'd freeze then just add to tomato based cooked sauces, though a reader suggest that if you blend it again it will resurrect it. Interested to hear if you try this!5. Nutrition per serving, for the gazpacho only.