Chilled Soup for Summer

Gazpacho is a chilled vegetable soup that’s a refreshingly cool treat during the heat of Redding’s summertime. It’s also a perfect match for the bounty all of the beautiful available produce from our local farmer’s market. Our gazpacho has a somewhat unique element of using Spicy Bloody Mary Mix, to liven it up a bit, and there’s no actual cooking involved, so you don’t even have to heat up your kitchen ;-). So grab a sharp knife, a cutting board and an array of your seasonal fresh off-the-vine produce and lets toss together a simple cool dish that is certain to warm your heart.

Gazpacho

Chef Cal DeMercurio | Culinarily Yours

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Course Soup

Cuisine Mediterranean

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl, cutting board, sharp chef's knife

Ingredients

  

Produce

• 3 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes peeled and diced
• 2 cups cucumber peeled, seeded, chopped
• 1 cup red bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup red onion chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade
• 2 small jalapeno seeded, minced
• 2 med garlic cloves minced
• 2 ea limes juiced

Liquid

• 2 cups spicy Bloody Mary mix
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Seasonings

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cumin toasted and ground
• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Garnish

• fresh basil leaves chiffonade

Instructions

 

Peel Tomatoes

• To peel tomatoes, using a paring knife, make an X on the bottom of the tomatoes.

  Drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds.

  Remove and transfer to an ice bath until they are cool to touch.

  Remove, pat dry and peel.

Combine and Chill

• Place the liquid ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add seasonings and stir to combine.

  Prep produce and add to Bloody Mary mixture. Toss gently to combine.

  Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

Serve

• Serve chilled, garnish with basil.

  Additional serving suggestion: serve with pan seared cod topped with an olive tapenade, sided with grilled garlic bread.

Keyword chilled soup, gazpacho recipe, vegetable soup

In Closing

Gazpacho is best with locally-grown in-season produce. Look for your next local Farmers’ Market or local growers association to find the best tomatoes. If you’re really brave, grow your own garden variety.

Until Next Time…

Culinarily Yours,

Chef Cal & Christa DeMercurio