Ingredients
– 4 ripe beefsteak type tomatoes- about 2 lbs, remove stem and cut into quarters
– 1 red bell pepper, rough cut, no seeds or stems, about 2 cups
– 1/2 green bell pepper, rough cut, no seeds or stems, about 1 cup
– 1/2 red onion, rough chop, about 1 cup
– 2 persian cucumbers, remove seeds, and chop, about 1 ½ cups
– 1 clove garlic
– ½ cup sherry vinegar
– 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
– 4 slices ciabatta bread- remove crust
– 1 garlic clove sliced
– Salt to taste
Optional
4 slices white bread- can be old, remove crust- break into pieces and soak in water for a few minutes, with your hands squeeze water out of bread and add it to veggies and puree
Optional
A dash of hot sauce and or ¼ slice jalapeno no seeds no stems, chopped- this depends on how much spice you like. We like to add a touch because it brings out flavors – not spicy, just enough
Garnish:
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
(mix in some sliced cherry tomatoes if you’d like)
Mix together to create a relish or salsa and season lightly with salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions:
Mix tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions and garlic (soaked bread and jalapeno if desired) in a bowl and place in blender and puree. If you need to you can do it in small batches. Place pureed mixture into bowl and whisk in sherry vinegar and then extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste with kosher or sea salt (and a shot of hot sauce if you’d like).
Push the mixture through a strainer with the bottom of a spoon into bowl or glass pitcher and refrigerate. (makes about 7 cups)
To Serve – Pour soup into bowl and garnish with a sprinkling of relish and a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil Gazpacho is a perfect summer meal when the weather is hot and you have an abundance of wonderful ripe tomatoes. Don’t limit yourself to only beefsteaks try a mixture of heirlooms or ripe sweet cherry tomatoes, There are also a variety of garnishes- feel free to experiment.