Easy Gazpacho
sandravalvassori.com
Here is a simply perfect, Easy Gazpacho Recipe. A chilled soup that celebrates summer produce like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers and comes together really fast in a blender. Beautiful and utterly delicious, this is a no-cook soup that will provide a refreshing escape from the summer heat.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup day-old cubed crustless rustic white bread (see notes)
- 2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes cored and chopped
- 1 cucumber (about 8 inches long) peeled and chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped Spanish or red onion
- 1 Cubanelle pepper—stemmed, seeded and chopped (see notes)
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 2 Tablespooons sherry vinegar, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4-5 ice cubes (optional)
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Optional garnishes: diced cucumber, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced raw onion, flakey salt, croutons
Instructions
- Place bread cubes in a medium bowl and add 1/3 cup of water. Quickly massage the bread to crumble it, then let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Place the chopped tomatoes in the jar of a blender followed by the bread (no need to squeeze out the water), cucumbers, onion, green pepper, garlic, vinegar, cumin (if using), salt, pepper and ice cubes, if using. Blend until very smooth, about 1 minute.
- With blender running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar, if necessary. If the texture is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup of cold water. Transfer to a large glass container, or glass jars, and chill for at least two hours to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve the gazpacho in bowls with drizzles of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and garnishes of your choice.
Notes
Bread: Can omit for gluten-free option.
Green pepper: A cubanelle-style pepper is traditionally used in Spain, not green bell pepper. If all you can find is a green bell pepper, go ahead and use 1/2 of the pepper. Alternatively, you can use a red bell pepper, though it is less traditional in a Spanish gazpacho.
Ice cubes: I like to add a few ice cubes so the heat from the blender doesn't heat the soup. If you don't have a blender, you can use a food processor but the soup will be a lot chunkier.