Rustic Gazpacho
This easy recipe is especially delightful on a day when it’s too hot to cook! I wouldn’t call it a main dish soup, but this salad-in-a-bowl is a lovely accompaniment to grilled meat, poultry or fish. At lunch, it would pair well with a grain-and-bean salad, a green salad with some protein, or with a sandwich or wrap. It also makes a satisfying snack!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into large chunks
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded (only if seeds are large) and cut into chunks
- 1 yellow bell pepper, de-stemmed, seeded and cut into chunks
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 cup water (you can use less if you want a thicker soup)
- 1 large slice stale rustic bread
- 1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt, to taste
- Dried ground red pepper or hot sauce, to taste
Optional
- Finely diced cucumber, thinly sliced scallions (green onions) and/or chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Tear the bread into large chunks, place them in a bowl, and cover with water. Prepare the vegetables and measure out the oil, vinegar and water.
- In a food processor or blender, layer the tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper. Toss the garlic cloves on top, then pour in the oil, vinegar and 1/2 cup of thewater. Pulse until the ingredients are combined into coarse pureed. If mixture is not liquid enough (this will depend on how juicy your tomatoes are), add more water.
- Squeeze most of the water out of the bread chunks, and add them to the blender or food processor. Pulse a few more times.
- Add the salt, cumin and red pepper or hot sauce (if using), and pulse a few more times to combine. Taste, and add more seasoning if desired.
- Refrigerate until chilled, an hour or more. Serve with additional hot sauce and suggested garnishes, if desired.
Notes
The bread is totally optional. I used to make it without, and find it satisfying either way. The bread does give a little more texture and thickness.
I've used both a food processor and a Vitamix to make this recipe, but a regular blender would also work. I stop processing when the mixture is quite liquidy, but I can still see tiny chunks of tomato, cucumber and yellow pepper.
I usually end up using about 2/3 cups of water, less than what many recipes suggested, but I think this depends on the type of tomato you use, as some tomatoes naturally have a higher water content.
While this gazpacho is best right after you make it, any leftovers will still be very good the next day.