Gazpacho

The past few days have been very hot and humid (click here) and even though I am used to the heat, the other day was really too hot to cook. Something cool, refreshing and healthy was in order and this liquid salad was just what I was looking for. Traditional Gazpacho is made in a mortar with stale bread (week old). The bread and vegetable mixture is pounded to a paste, tomatoes added, olive oil and finally the vinegar tasting all the time to make sure you’ve got it right. Depending on the regions of Spain and the cook, almonds and garlic are used whereas tomatoes and peppers are omitted. Some use beef or chicken stock in lieu of tomato juice so this dish is really open to interpretation. The following recipe embodies a ‘new world’ version of what was once a peasant soup.

Serves 4
1 small cucumber
3 spring onions
4 tablespoons of chopped coriander
1 red capsicum (bell pepper)
1 green capsicum
2 sticks celery
4 medium tomatoes or 425g canned tomatoes
1 medium red onion
1 cup tomato juice
1-2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce (or to taste)

Finely chop half of the cucumber, spring onions, coriander, 1/2 of the capsicums, 1 stick of celery and a 1/4 of the canned tomatoes. Roughly chop remaining vegetables and process in a food processor with juice and Tabasco sauce. Pour this into a bowl and add the finely chopped vegetables, mix and chill. Garnish with coriander.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: This chilled soup hits the spot on such a hot day. If using fresh tomatoes, make sure they are vine ripe and red. Serve the soup cool, that is, slightly colder than room temperature as it is more refreshing than serving it very cold.