It was sweltering in Cape Town this past weekend, so I thought it would be the perfect time to throw together a refreshing gazpacho soup. This recipe is for a traditional Andalusian gazpacho but the name has come to mean any kind of chilled soup.
You’ll need: (serves 4)
1 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled (leave them in hot water until the skins peel off easily)
15 cm cucumber, chopped
8 spring onions, chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped
2 tsp lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
2 tbsp olive oil
300 ml passata
2 tsp tomato paste (optional, use this if you tomatoes aren’t ripe or tasty enough)
Few drops of Tabasco
5 basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper to taste
For the garnish:
Half a red pepper, deseeded and chopped
5cm cucumber, chopped
2 basil leaves, roughly torn
Here’s how:
Pop all of your ingredients into a food processor and blend. Traditionally this was done with a mortar and pestle so you want to leave some texture in the soup, no need to pure it! Chill in the fridge for two hours then serve topped with the garnish and accompanied by some delicious bread and chilled white wine.
Yours in food
Leigh
