Gazpacho

Gazpacho 

I sometimes find it funny how the sum of the parts frequently seem to be more appealing than some of the individual ingredients used in certain recipes. Gazpacho, for me, is the quintessential summer soup made only when the tomatoes are at their peak but it also contains two of my least favorite vegetables, cucumbers and green peppers. I’ve never cared very much for either one yet they are integral in creating that special flavor of a delicious gazpacho. Usually, a traditional gazpacho is a smooth and puréed soup but years ago when I started making the soup I decided I preferred it with a bit of texture. Instead of puréeing all of the ingredients in the blender, I started finely chopping the vegetables in the food processor so I could control the texture. If you prefer a more traditional soup then feel free to purée it in the blender to your heart’s content. 

Gazpacho

Serves 10-12

8 -10 large ripe plum tomatoes, about 3 lbs/1.5K

1 bunch of scallions, root end trimmed off and cleaned

1 med. red onion, peeled and cut into quarters
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 large hothouse cucumber or 3 regular ones, peeled and seeded

1 large green pepper, seeded

1- 46oz jar of tomato juice
1C water

2-3T Sherry Vinegar

1t ground black pepper

1T sweet smoked Spanish paprika

salt to taste

olive oil

In a food processor, finely pulse-chop the tomatoes, then place in a large bowl. Roughly hand chop the scallions and red onion and add to processor along with the garlic and pulse to finely chop.  Scrape bowl as necessary. Add to tomatoes. 

Coarsely hand chop cucumbers and green peppers and add to the processor and pulse to chop finely, scraping sides of bowl to ensure even chopping.  Add to other vegetables in bowl. 

Add tomato juice and water to vegetable mixture and stir. If mixture is too thick, thin with a little more water . Add the sherry vinegar a tablespoon at a time stirring and tasting until soup is just slightly tart. Add black pepper, smoked paprika and some salt. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Chill for at least 4 hrs. It can be made a day in advance. 

Drizzle with a bit of a good extra virgin olive oil and some chopped herbs. 

NOTE: If you’re feeling a little fancy you can peel and seed the tomatoes before chopping them for a more refined look. Make sure to taste just before serving as chilling the soup will mute the seasoning and it may need more salt or vinegar.