More of a drink than a soup, served in
frosted glasses or chilled tumblers, gazpacho is perfect when it is too hot to
eat but you need cold, salt and lunch all at the same time. Gazpacho is
everywhere in Seville, Spain, where this recipe comes from, but it's not the
watered-down salsa or grainy vegetable purée often served in the United States.
This version has no bread and is a creamy orange-pink rather than a lipstick
red. That is because a large quantity of olive oil is required for making
delicious gazpacho, rather than take-it-or-leave it gazpacho. The emulsion of
red tomato juice, palest green cucumber juice and golden olive oil produces the
right color and a smooth, almost fluffy texture.
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·
INGREDIENTS
Yield:8 to 12 servings, about 1
quart
·
About
2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
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1Italian
frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim,
cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks
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1cucumber,
about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
·
1small
mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
·
1clove
garlic
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2teaspoons
sherry vinegar, more to taste
·
Salt
·
½cup
extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling
PREPARATION
1. Step 1
Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion
and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If
necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2
minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
2. Step 2
With the motor running, add the vinegar and
2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright
orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If
it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
3. Step 3
Strain the mixture through a strainer or a
food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a
ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and
chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
4. Step 4
Before
serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick,
stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or
in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.
