Gazpacho is a soup that comprises raw vegetables and typically has a tomato base. It’s eaten widely in Spain, especially throughout the hot summers because it’s cool and refreshing.
The soup is an excellent vegetable dish that highlights several of the fresh vegetables that are readily accessible. You’ll discover that while it’s easy to prepare, it requires some chopping.
An advantage of Gazpacho is that it takes a short period to prepare and you can have it for dinner or lunch. If you’re seeking the perfect dish during the hot summer, check this out.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
- 2 sprig thyme
- 4 stems of parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ medium-sized red onion (chopped)
- ¼ chopped green pepper
- ¼ chopped zucchini
- ¼ chopped English cucumber
- ¼ chopped red bell pepper
- 1 chopped clove garlic
- 2 huge tomatoes (core removed and diced into sections)
- 1 cup of tomato juice with bouquet garni (250ml)
- ¼ cup of Italian parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (salad quality-25ml)
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- Dash of hot pepper sauce
- ½ cup cubed white bread (day old)
Instructions
- Pour bouquet garni into a small cheesecloth and place parsley stems, peppercorns, bay leaf, and thyme. Tie the end with a string and use it to infuse tomato juice.
- Heat the tomato juice along with bouquet garni for flavor. Allow it to cool.
- Pulse together, green and red peppers, onion, cucumber, garlic, and zucchini in food processor. Ensure the mixture maintains a coarse consistency. Remove the mixture; transfer it to a bowl, and reserve. When using a food processor, avoid over blending.
- Put the bread and tomatoes in the food processor’s bowl. When it comes to tomatoes, heirlooms are the best. Allow them to stand in a bowl or on the counter at room temperature. Preferably, they should be in a sunny place until they attain a soft texture.
- Control how finely you chop the ingredients. Add this to the reserved vegetables. Include chopped parsley. Alternatively, you could cut all the vegetables finely with your hand.
- Stir the cooled tomato juice, wine vinegar, and olive oil into the vegetable mixture. Use Tabasco sauce and salt for seasoning. If you discover the mixture is too thick, you can thin it with a cup of ice water or additional tomato juice to attain the desired consistency.
- Soup is best when you cool it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving. The soup needs to marinate/blend overnight. So, allow it to sit in the refrigerator for even 24 hours before eating.
- Garnish with chopped parsley or celery leaves to serve.
While gazpacho is quite easy to prepare, the trick in making a good dish lies in sourcing the ingredients.
The healthy dish doesn’t involve fats or cooking and the ripeness and intensity of your ingredients hold up the symphony of flavors. For this reason, make sure you choose the ingredients wisely.
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