Description
Cool Spanish gazpacho brings Mediterranean summer freshness to your table. Blended ripe tomatoes, crisp vegetables, and zesty herbs create a refreshing chilled soup perfect for beating the heat.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Fruits:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup (150 grams) cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup (75 grams) chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup (75 grams) chopped red onion
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons (8 grams) fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Liquid and Condiments:
- Tomato juice
- ¼ cup (60 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) Worcestershire sauce
Spices and Seasonings:
- ½ teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a 6-quart (5.7 liters) pot by filling it halfway with water and bringing to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Carefully score the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife, creating a small X-shaped cut to facilitate peeling.
- Gently lower the scored tomatoes into the boiling water for precisely 15 seconds, then immediately transfer them to a prepared ice bath to halt the cooking process and cool for approximately 60 seconds.
- Remove tomatoes from the ice bath and pat dry with clean paper towels. Carefully peel the skin using your fingers, starting from the X-cut area.
- Extract seeds from the peeled tomatoes, placing the pulp and seeds into a fine-mesh strainer positioned over a collecting bowl to capture any additional tomato juice.
- Press the seeds and pulp gently to extract maximum juice, supplementing with bottled tomato juice if needed to reach the desired volume.
- Combine the prepared tomato pieces and collected juice in a large mixing bowl, adding extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lime juice, aged balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ground cumin, finely diced red onion, minced jalapeno pepper, crushed garlic clove, and diced cucumber.
- Transfer approximately 1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) of the mixture to a blender and puree on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds until smooth.
- Return the blended portion back to the main bowl and thoroughly incorporate with the remaining ingredients.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, allowing flavors to meld, with overnight chilling recommended for optimal taste.
- Before serving, garnish with delicate basil chiffonade for an aromatic finishing touch.
Notes
- Tomato Selection Matters: Pick vine-ripened, deep red tomatoes bursting with summer sweetness for maximum flavor intensity.
- Texture Transformation: Blend ingredients until smooth, leaving slight chunks for rustic authenticity and textural interest.
- Chilling Technique: Refrigerate gazpacho for minimum 2 hours, allowing ingredients to marry and develop complex, harmonious flavors.
- Personalization Power: Customize your soup with creative garnishes like crispy pancetta, herb-infused croutons, or a swirl of herb oil.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg