Cool, crisp, and bursting with flavor, gazpacho is the ultimate summer refresher—a chilled Spanish soup made with ripe tomatoes and fresh veggies.
INGREDIENTS
- 5 medium ripe tomatoes (about 1½ lb – 700g), cored and chopped
- 2 small cucumber (about 7oz – 200g), peeled and chopped
- ½ red bell pepper (capsicum) (about 2oz – 60g), deseeded and chopped
- ½ small red onion, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tbsp sherry wine vinegar
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ cup – 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp sea salt, more to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups – 360g of ice
- Small handful fresh basil
- Chopped cucumber, tomato, to garnish
- 1 cup Garlic croutons (to serve)
DIRECTIONS
- Place chopped tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, onion, and garlic in a blender.
- Add sherry vinegar, olive oil, cumin powder, salt, pepper, and ice.
- Blend until smooth (or slightly chunky if you like it rustic).
- Taste and adjust seasoning, it should be zingy and vibrant. Re-blend if adding salt.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let flavours mingle.
- Serve cold, and top each bowl with chopped cucumber, tomato, basil, and a few garlic croutons. Drizzle extra olive oil if you’re feeling fancy.
TIPS
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can find, flavour depends on them.
- For extra flavour, chill overnight and let it marinate longer.
- For a silkier texture, strain through a fine sieve. Or leave it hearty, your call.
