Gazpacho

Andalusian Gazpacho

A cold, raw soup from southern Spain that blends sun-ripened tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, olive oil and day-old bread into a silky, refreshing purée. Serve ice-cold with diced vegetables for a classic summer starter.

Prep

20 min

Total

20 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) ripe tomatoes, preferably vine-ripened, cored and roughly chopped
• •1 cucumber, about 300 g / 10½ oz, peeled and seeded, roughly chopped
• •1 green bell pepper, about 150 g / 5¼ oz, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped
• •2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• •100 g (3½ oz) day-old bread, stale white bread, crusts removed, torn into pieces
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving, use a fruity Spanish variety
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) sherry vinegar, or to taste
• •1 tsp salt, fine sea salt, or to taste
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) cold water, or as needed to adjust consistency

Steps

1. 1 Soak the torn bread in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess water and set aside.
2. 2 In a large blender, combine the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, and squeezed bread. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. 3 With the blender running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Add the salt and blend for another 30 seconds until emulsified.
4. 4 Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or vinegar if needed. If the soup is too thick, add the cold water in small increments, blending until you reach a pourable, creamy consistency.
5. 5 Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
6. 6 Cover and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Gazpacho must be served very cold.
7. 7 To serve, pour into chilled bowls or glasses. Garnish with finely diced cucumber, tomato, green pepper, a few croutons, and a swirl of olive oil if desired.