Gazpacho is a tomato-based, vegetable soup traditionally served cold,naturally gluten free
One of my September 2013 recipes for National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, now Beyond Celiac.
GAZPACHO makes about 4 cups, 32 fl oz, almost 1 litre, 8 dinner party servings.
Even in New Hampshire we are now getting a surfeit of fresh ripe tomatoes, cucumber and bell peppers so what better to make than Gazpacho. Gazpacho is a tomato-based, vegetable soup traditionally served cold, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia.
Many of the modern recipes for Gazpacho involve puréeing the soup in a blender and then just add chopped vegetables as a garnish. We are told that the recipe originated with the Moors in Spain and possibly the Romans before that, but since they only had a pestle and mortar for grinding, I also don’t purée my soup. I like to cut my vegetables into quite small pieces so several vegetables fit on my spoon at the same time. I use V8 vegetable juice as a base for various dishes. They do say on line that V8 is gf, I hate tomato juice so this soup puréed would just taste like tomato juice to me. But I love tomatoes. I also add plenty of fresh herbs in the summer, because that’s when all the fresh herbs are available same as all the fresh summer vegetables.
1 x 12 oz (350ml) can of regular V8 juice, they also make a spicy version.
½ lb (250g) wonderfully ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped small, retaining seeds and juices for the soup. I peel them by roasting them on the top of the gas stove just to blacken skin and then peeling once cool. It’s the way my father always did his tomato salad. Large tomatoes are the easiest.
½ of English/European cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into small pieces. I don’t deseed. If you do deseed, then you will need more cucumber.
2 tbsp (30ml) green of green onions (spring onions, scallions) finely sliced
2 tbsp (30ml) chopped fresh parsley
¼ of a ripe red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
¼ of a ripe yellow bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
½ cup (2-4 oz, 50-100g, about 1 small ear) corn- if you can grill a fresh ear of corn and then cut off niblets, do that.
2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil - I find extra virgin to be too assertive
1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely crushed. - optional
½-1 tsp (2.5-5 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) white Balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1/2 c (4 fl oz, 120 ml) water, more if needed
salt and pepper to taste. I find V8 to be salty on its own, but after everything has blended and mellowed, then you might or might not want more salt. Your choice.
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh Basil finely chopped - optional
Several sprigs of fresh lemon thyme, leaves pulled off stems - optional
1 ripe avocado, halved, stone removed, cut into thin slices - for garnish
Small cooked salad shrimp for garnish.
1. Put everything except for avocado and shrimp into 6-8 cup (48-64 oz, 1.5-2 ltr) mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings. Your taste for salt can be more or less than mine, you might like more lemon or vinegar in the soup. I love lots of fresh herbs, my husband only likes a few. The burst of flavor from fresh herbs, particularly lemon thyme is phenomenal. Lemon thyme is one of those herbs that even in NH comes back every year and makes a good border plant.
3. Serve each bowl of chilled soup with a garnish of cooked salad shrimp and sliced avocado as the photo shows. I saw this garnish on air and liked the idea of it. You could also put some good crab meat on top instead. Some cooked asparagus tips. I like to remove soup from fridge about 15-30 minutes before serving, as I don’t like it that cold on my teeth. Plus if soup is too cold, you can't taste it.
The quantities aren’t written in stone, so depending on quantities you used, the gazpacho might be thick or thin. I often add a bit more water or stock. But be aware if you only use a small quantity of vegetables, the soup can be tasteless. Ripe tomatoes are essential. Think about puréeing a freshly roasted red pepper in the V8 juice before adding vegetables. Think about using an immersion blender to slightly purée some of the vegetables to make a thicker base. It’s all down to your individual taste and what you fancy.
“ For variety, throw in some seafood, olives, herbs, nuts, grapes, ham, celery, carrots, white beans or chickpeas. Gazpacho is as much as a salad as it is a soup, and even in Spain the variations are limitless. But the key to great gazpacho is achieving a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness, with a slightly salty accent and a touch of picante.”
