Another August, another opportunity to find the perfect gazpacho recipe.
What is it about this refreshing, cold summertime soup that inspires a revisit, and re-tweak, every year?
This year, look to one of these recipes. The first, culled from the new “Plumpjack Cookbook,” is a smooth, spicy gazpacho, heavy with the flavors of summer. The other, from an old classic, “The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook,” is an invigorating soup-take on fruit salad. Both are healthful and delicious.
Gazpacho
From “The Plumpjack Cookbook: Great Meals for Good Living,” by Jeff Morgan (Rodale).
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds very ripe tomatoes
4 cups water
2 cups cubed (2 inches) baguette or other country bread
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon coarse salt
Directions
Bring a large pot three-quarters full of water to a boil. With a paring knife, cut a shallow X in the blossom end of each tomato. Add the tomatoes, but be careful not to fill the pot to overflowing. After 30 to 40 seconds, use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to a bowl, then let cool for a minute or two. Starting with the X on each tomato, peel off the skin, then cut out and discard the shallow core from the stem end.
Puree the tomatoes with 3 cups of water in a blender or food processor. (Puree in batches if necessary.) Transfer the to a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, soak the bread in 1/2 cup water until fully moist, about 2 minutes. Puree the bread with the remaining 1/2 cup water in a blender or food processor. Stir the bread puree into the tomato puree. Gently stir in the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, onion, cucumber, cilantro, jalapeño and salt until all the ingredients are mixed well.
Refrigerate for two hours prior to serving.
Fruit Gazpacho
From “The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook,” by Julee Russo, Sheila Lukins, and Sarah Leah Chase. Serves 6-8.
Ingredients
2 cups tomato puree
3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lime
2 cups diced cantaloupe
2 cups diced honeydew melon
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup halved green or red seedless grapes
Fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, for garnish
1 or 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced, for garnish
Directions
Combine the tomato puree, orange juice, sugar, orange and lime zests, cantaloupe, honeydew and mango in a large bowl. Process half of the mixture in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or a blender until smooth. Stir the puree into the remaining fruit mixture.
Stir in the apple, blueberries and grapes. Refrigerate covered for several hours.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with several strawberry halves and a couple of kiwi slices.
