The perfect al fresco dish on a hot summer’s day, this cold Spanish gazpacho soup is easy to make and a taste of summer. It is important that you like the flavour of the olive oil you choose as it will affect the taste of the soup. It is worth trying a little bit beforehand.
Ingredients
Serves 2
4 tablespoons raw almonds
4 tablespoons water
7 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or juice of ½ lemon
4 medium very, very ripe tomatoes (look for dark red colour on the inside, and really soft flesh)
¾ red pepper
¼ small red onion
1 garlic clove
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the toppings
½ red pepper, finely chopped
¼ red onion, finely chopped
¼ cucumber, finely chopped
4 tablespoons mixed seeds
Method
In a high-speed blender, blend the almonds until they become a fine meal. Stop the blender. Add the water, oil and vinegar. Then add the tomatoes, pepper, onion and garlic and start the blender (ensuring the lid is on). Blend for 1 minute, taste, add salt and pepper and blend for a further minute. Serve in small bowls, scattered with the toppings.
Aajo Blanco
White gazpacho from Andalucia in Spain is made with almonds and garlic and served with grapes or melon.
Serves 4
Ingredients
300g raw almonds
400ml water
350ml cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon oil to serve
½ cucumber
1/8 celery stalk
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
10 white grapes, halved
A handful of watercress
Method
First, dry out the almonds in the oven at its lowest setting. Then, in a high-speed blender, blend together the water, olive oil, cucumber, celery, almonds, garlic and vinegar. Season with salt and white pepper. Pour into a bowl and chill for an hour in the fridge. Serve in small bowls, topped with sliced grapes, a drizzle of olive oil and the watercress.
Taken from Raw is More published by Kyle Books, priced £13.48
The post Summer gazpacho appeared first on Beyond Bespoke.