Chilled Gazpacho Andaluz

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I've been looking for a good Gazpacho recipe for a while since it's the perfect evening soup on a hot summer day. Gazpacho can sometimes taste like a pureed salsa if not done correctly, so I was skeptical about trying it on my own. My sister-in-law is the queen of soups (literally, she makes any and every type of soup, and the ones I've tried are delicious) so I knew she'd be a good resource to go to.

This turned out so refreshing and flavorful. And nothing like pureed salsa. It's imperative that you buy a good brand of extra-virgin olive oil (she recommended Goya, which I used) and you definitely need to peel AND seed the cucumber. No shortcuts here! But it will be well worth it in the end. I served this in chilled bowls alongside a light summer salad, and it was the perfect Friday evening meal. And it's pretty, too! Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices of day-old country bread, crusts removed and cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds ripest, sweetest most flavorful tomatoes, quartered
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. aged sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup fragrant extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup bottled spring water
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced 
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Sea salt
• 1 firm medium-sized cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1/2 small red or Spanish onion, peeled and chopped
• Extra small amounts of bell peppers, onions and tomatoes, for garnish

Place the bread in a large bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and squeeze out juice from one tomato over it. Add 1 tsp. of sherry vinegar and mix it well with your fingers. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

Transfer the bread mixture to a blender (or food processor) and add minced garlic, cayenne pepper and salt. Process until very smooth.

Add half of the tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, onions, generous pinch of salt and 1/4 cup of olive oil; process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Repeat with the remaining half of vegetables and olive oil. You can also pass the soup through a sieve, but it's not necessary. Transfer this mixture to the bowl with the first batch.

To the bowl, add 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar, a sprinkle of salt and the spring water. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust amounts of each to your liking.

Chill for at least 3 hours.

Divide between chilled soup bowls and prepare small dishes of chopped peppers, onions and tomatoes for garnish. Add side dish of olive oil for drizzling and some good crusty bread.

Source: Adapted from The Kitchn