It's finally gotten to that point in the summer: The point where, despite what I do for a living, I don't really want to cook. It's not the prep I mind—it's the heat of the stove I can't stand.
Thankfully, there are so many gorgeous tomatoes all of the sudden, tomatoes so perfect that I wouldn't cook them even if I wanted to—cooking these beauties would be sacrilege. And so, I make gazpacho for dinner. Or lunch (gazpacho is perfect on a hot August afternoon). Actually, who am I kidding? I make it for both.
You'd think it'd get old. It doesn't. How could it? It comes together in a flash, and when you work without a recipe (as these six simple steps will show you how to do), there's an infinite number of variations. In fact, the only thing that's always the same when it comes to gazpacho is that you never need to turn on the oven to make it.
Chop some veggies
Which vegetables should you be chopping? Tomatoes, of course. Don't bother peeling them, but do remove the hard white part around the stem before giving the tomatoes a rough chop. Garlic is another must-have—give it a finer chop. Onion or shallot is good too, but don't overwhelm the soup by using too much—half an onion is about right for a batch that will serve four.
The other veggies are up to you. Cucumber is a classic addition and helps create more liquid to thin the soup (peel them so the gazpacho doesn't turn brown). A red bell pepper is also classic (or, for a spicy and smoky twist, use canned fire roasted red peppers instead). Chopped celery adds a nice refreshing note, and you can always sneak in some raw summer squash or zucchini if you have some on hand.
Less traditional, but super delicious, is to add some fresh fruit to your gazpacho. Watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon are all right at home with the classic tomato base. Grapes and peaches are fun way to add sweetness too, but a little goes a long way. Avocados add instant creaminess and is a nice way to thicken the gazpacho, if you're into that kind of thing.
As you chop, set aside a handful of veggies to the side—you'll want them later as a crunchy garnish for each bowl.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell
Puree with oil and vinegar
Once you have all your chopped veggies ready, dump them into your blender or food processor and douse with a generous splash of red wine or sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and then give it a whirl until it's liquified. If it's not pureeing well, add a splash of water to help move things along. If it's too thin, add some more veggies, or...
Add some bread (or not)
That's right, add some bread. To thicken gazpacho, just add some bread and continue to blend it until it's reached the consistency you desire. (You can also save your bread to use as a topping for your soup: Chop up whatever bread you have on hand, fry it in some olive oil with some chopped herbs, salt, and pepper, and you'll have the best homemade croutons ever.)
Season to taste
Once you get the consistency about where you want it, try a spoonful. How's it taste? Too bitter? Add some fresh fruit, more tomatoes, or even a pinch of sugar. Too bland? Add more vinegar or a squeeze of lemon juice and some more salt. Want a little spice? Add some cayenne or paprika, or some chopped fresh jalapeño. Keep tasting and tinkering until it's the most delicious, refreshing batch of gazpacho you've ever eaten in your entire life (or, you know, good enough for lunch).
Chill
If you have time, stow your finished gazpacho in the fridge for a few hours (or up to two days) to get it nice and cold. No time for this? No problem: pour the gazpacho into bowls and put an ice cube right in the middle of each one. (I love the ice cube trick—I especially love the way the soup changes texture throughout the course of eating it as the ice cube melts and dilutes the mixture.)
Garnish and serve
That portion of chopped veggies you saved from the blender? Sprinkle them on top of each bowl. Or just chop up some fresh herbs—chives, basil, mint, or parsley—and scatter generously. Add those croutons if you want, then finish each bowl off with an artful drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
