The single easiest way to make the most of ultra-ripe tomatoes.
We eat this Spanish classic at least once a week at my house during the height of tomato season. It’s perfect for a no-cook dinner, for a make-ahead dinner, and for using tomatoes that have gone a touch past perfectly ripe. A bit overripe isn’t just okay for this chilled soup, it’s ideal.
The blend-strain-blend technique may seem like overkill, but it’s how to get an utterly smooth, luscious, and integrated gazpacho.
Offer a range of garnishes for people to add as they like. By including egg or ham and plenty of toasted bread or croutons, it’s pretty easy for this to serve as a light supper.
The bread adds body. If you’re going to serve it in bowls, it’s a good addition. If you want to keep it gluten-free or you want to serve it to sip, leave the bread out for a thinner, more sippable texture.
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cooling time: 4 hours
Servings: 6
Calories: 256kcal
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds extremely very ripe tomatoes [may need to use canned to get the good color]
- ½ cucumber
- 1 piece baguette about 5 inches long
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
Options:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 shallot
- 1 hot chile
Possible Garnishes:
- Diced red or green bell pepper
- Diced cucumber
- Pitted and chopped oil-cured black olives
- Chopped hard-cooked egg
- Chopped ham
- Toasts or croutons
- Herbs of any sort
Instructions
- You may need to work in batches, depending on the size of your blender; if you do, use about half the tomatoes in each, do the cucumber in one and the bread in the other, then combine.
- Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, and bread into fiarly big pieces. Put them in the blender with the 2 vinegars and olive oil, and any garlic, shallot, or chile you’re using. Whirl to blend until smooth.
- Run through a food mill or a strainer. Return to the blender, and blend again. Add salt to taste (it’s a lot of liquid and a lot of acid, so salt generously—start with 1 teaspoon, then add more to taste).
- Cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Serve with the garnishes for people to add at the table.
Notes
Photo: Erin Scott Studio.
This recipe is part of our 50-page summer recipe e-book. It's a free download when you subscribe here.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 527mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1590IU | Vitamin C: 26.7mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1.9mg
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