Gazpacho

gazpacho

As much as I love my chilled cucumber soup, you’d think I’d be a long-time fan of gazpacho. But, in truth, not so much. There are so many ways to stir up tomatoes that I’d never felt compelled to turn them into a cool dinnertime slush. But the heat this summer has made me reconsider. I flipped through several recipes before landing on this one and was even skeptical as I began tossing veggies into the blender. But this gazpacho was good. Like ohmygoodness-I-need-to-make-another-batch-of-this good. So, don’t let summer pass you by without giving this recipe a try. It’s a keeper.

Inspired by NYT Cooking’s Best Gazpacho

Makes 4 to 6 dinnertime servings, more as an appetizer

Ingredients

  • About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
  • 1 cubanelle, Anaheim, or roasted red pepper, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks (Warning: a green bell pepper will overwhelm the subtle tastes of this dish)
  • 1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
  • 1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 tsp. rice vinegar, more to taste
  •  1 tsp. fine sea salt
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste
  • garnish with avocado, diced chives or basil, or a dollop of sour cream if you wish

Instructions

  1. Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender and blend at high speed until very smooth. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula or spoon.
  2. Add vinegar and salt. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
  3. Chill until very cold, several hours or overnight.
  4. Before serving, adjust seasonings. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Ladle into bowls and top with desired garnish.