Gazpacho

Gazpacho large icon Made almost entirely of raw vegetables, this classic Spanish soup is served chilled and can provide a wonderfully refreshing and light meal on a hot day.

Ingredients

  • 300g Cucumber
  • 340g Fresh Plum Tomatoes (4)
  • 50g Spring Onion (2)
  • 250g Red Bell Pepper (3)
  • 10g Fresh Parsley
  • 1 small bunch of Fresh Mint
  • 3 sprigs of Fresh Basil
  • 1 clove of Garlic (about 4g)
  • 5g Fresh Root Ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato Purée
  • ½ Lemon Juice
  • A few drops of Tabasco
  • 2 dashes of Worchester Sauce

For the garnish:

  • 70g Cucumber (5cm length piece)
  • ½ Red Bell Pepper (about 40g)
  • Preparation Time: 20 minutes + 1 hour chilling
  • Cooking Time: N/A
  • Serves: 2

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients into a liquidizer and blend until smooth.
    all the ingredients
  2. Pour into a sieve and push the contents through into a bowl.
    the blended soup
  3. Put the bowl into a freezer for at least one hour (the soup should be very cold). Then season the soup heavily with salt & pepper.
  4. For the garnish, cut the cucumber in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and finely dice the flesh. Deseed the red pepper and finely dice it.
    the garnish
  5. Ladel the soup into bowls and sprinkle over a mixture of the red pepper and cucumber and, optionally, a sprig of basil.
  6. Serve.
    the finished soup

Useful Information

Can it be Frozen? Yes.

Can it be prepared in advance? Yes, it can be finished up to 3 days in advance.

Will leftovers be nice? Yes, for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • This soup needs quite a large amount of seasoning because serving the soup so cold diminishes its flavour and the seasoning is needed to bring back the taste of the vegetables (the same is true of the sugar content in ice-cream).
  • A nice addition to the garnish is croutons (small cubes of bread lightly fried in butter) and a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese.