Summer / No. 11 / Emulsifying with a blender
Chilled Tomato Gazpacho
A smooth Andalusian-style cold soup of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, sherry vinegar and olive oil, blended until creamy. No cooking.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- No cooking
- Total
- 20 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
Photo: Gazpacho con su guarnición - jlastras by Javier Lastras from España/Spain, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
On the hottest days of summer, gazpacho is less a recipe than a rescue. Ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper and a little garlic are blended with sherry vinegar, a piece of bread and plenty of olive oil into a smooth, chilled soup that tastes like the whole garden at once.
The bread and oil are not filler. Blended together with the vegetables, they form an emulsion, which is why good gazpacho is creamy and pale orange-pink instead of thin and watery red. Serve it very cold in bowls or glasses, with a little diced cucumber and pepper on top for crunch.
Method
- 1
Put the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Tear in the bread, add the vinegar and salt, and toss well. Let stand for 15 minutes so the bread softens and the vegetables release some juice.
- 2
Transfer everything to a blender, in batches if needed, and blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes until very smooth.
- 3
With the blender running, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. The soup will turn lighter in color and creamier in texture.
- 4
For an extra-silky texture, pass the soup through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a ladle. Thin with cold water if it seems too thick.
- 5
Taste and adjust with more salt and vinegar; cold food needs bolder seasoning than you might expect.
- 6
Chill for at least 2 hours, until very cold. Serve topped with diced cucumber and pepper, croutons, a thread of olive oil and black pepper.
Cook's notes
- Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; this is not a dish for pale winter tomatoes.
- For a quick chill, pour the soup into a metal bowl set over ice and stir for 10 minutes.
- A handful of watermelon or a roasted red pepper blended in makes a sweeter variation.
Keeping
Keeps for up to 3 days in a sealed jar in the fridge. Stir or shake before serving, as it may separate slightly.
Cooking times and temperatures are guides; ovens, stoves and ingredients vary. This recipe is for home cooking and is not dietary or medical advice. Check labels for allergens.
