This delicious gazpacho is truly the best gazpacho recipe around, or so we've been told by our Spanish friends with strong opinions on Spanish food. The process for making this recipe is a little different than most, and the payoff is in how great it tastes. It's fresh, bright, refreshing, and creamy tasting. You'll LOVE it!
What is gazpacho
Gazpacho is a light and refreshing cold soup that is perfect for summer. It originated in the Andalucian region of southern Spain and is traditionally made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. You'll also find gazpacho made with green tomatoes, corn, and even fruit. This Andalucian-style gazpacho is made with the freshest vegetables and healthy olive oil so you can feel great about eating many bowls of it.
What makes this the best gazpacho recipe
We were given a version of this recipe many years ago and haven't made another gazpacho recipe since. We've even had some Spanish friends tell us that this is THE BEST GAZPACHO they've ever eaten. The unique process of salting and freezing the vegetables before blending them helps to break them down and draw every bit of delicious flavor from them. It's based on J. Kenji López-Alt's recipe with a few minor changes. Instead of soaking bread in the juices from the vegetables, we skip the bread. White bread isn't something we normally have on hand so we looked for an alternative that mimics the creamy texture. Extra olive oil, which is rich, creamy, and healthy, does the trick. We've taste-tested both recipes and the version with the bread is a tiny bit creamier and this gluten-free version is a tiny bit fresher-tasting. It was hard to pick a favorite but the gluten-free gazpacho won out in the end.
Ingredients:
3 lbs ripe tomatoes (cored and cut into chunks)
8 ounces English cucumber (about 1, cut into chunks)
5 ounces red bell pepper (about 1, cut into chunks)
5 ounces red onion (about ½, cut into chunks)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
1 jalapeño pepper (cored, seeded, and cut into chunks)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (plus more for serving)
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced chives
FRIED HALLOUMI
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces halloumi cheese (cut into large cubes)
Instructions
Put the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and jalapeño into a large bowl. Toss the veggies with the salt then let them sit on your counter for 45 minutes. This step releases the liquid from the vegetables. 3 lbs ripe tomatoes, 8 ounces English cucumber, 5 ounces red bell pepper, 5 ounces red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño pepper, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Separate the vegetables from the liquid, reserving the liquid. Place the vegetables on a parchment paper-lined tray and place them into your freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until they are partially frozen. This step may take longer depending on your freezer.
Remove the tray from the freezer and let the vegetables thaw completely.
Combine the thawed veggies and any juice that accumulated on the tray, the reserved juice, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper into your blender. (If you have a smaller blender, combine everything into a large bowl then work in batches to blend the soup. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately or chill for up to 3 days. 1 ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Serve with extra olive oil and a sprinkle of chives, black pepper, and fried halloumi (see below) over top. 2 tablespoons finely minced chives
FRIED HALLOUMI
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the halloumi and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Once it's golden on the bottom, turn the pieces over and cook for 2 minutes more. 1 tablespoon olive oil, 8 ounces halloumi cheese
Top the gazpacho with the fried halloumi and serve immediately.
Recipe from The Endless Meal.
