Easy Gazpacho Recipe
Super fast gazpacho. The key is layering and salting the vegetables above the bread so that their exuded juices get sopped up before blending.
Super fast gazpacho. The key is layering and salting the vegetables above the bread so that their exuded juices get sopped up before blending.
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces hearty bread, crusts removed, torn into 1- to 2-i
- 3 pounds (about 4 large) very ripe tomatoes, cored and cut
- 1/2 pound (about 1 small) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut
- 1/3 pound (about 1 small) small red onion, peeled and cut i
- 1/3 pound (about 1 medium) green or red bell pepper, cored,
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar plus more to taste
- chopped herbs such as parsley chives, or oregano for serving
- Carbohydrate 0.564309312488749 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.00833333333333333 g
- Fiber 0.0349999984105428 g
- Protein 0.107971749998333 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00148333333333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (351g)
- Sodium 388.257683333 mg
- Sugar 0.529309314078206 g
- Trans Fat 0.00251666666666667 g
- Calories 3 calories
Step-by-step
- Place bread in bottom of a large bowl. Add half of the tomatoes in an even layer on top and season generously with salt and pepper. Add cucumbers, onion, peppers, and garlic. Sprinkle with oregano and season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining tomatoes and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Drizzle oil and vinegar over the top. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Toss all ingredients with a wooden spoon or by hand until they are evenly incorporated. Transfer half of the contents, including liquid at bottom of bowl, to the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Press mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl. Repeat with remaining soup (you may need to work in more batches). Season soup with more salt, pepper, and vinegar as desired.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chopped herbs and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, or chill for up to three days before serving.
Raw blended soups rely entirely on osmotic pressure to concentrate flavors without heat. Layering dense vegetables above porous bread forces salt downward, drawing out natural moisture while the bread acts as a sponge for the resulting liquid. Allowing this mixture to rest at room temperature for precisely thirty minutes initiates enzymatic breakdown, softening cell walls before the blades introduce friction. Extra-virgin olive oil added during this maceration phase coats the solids, preventing immediate oxidation and preserving the bright red color of the tomatoes. Blending requires high speed for a full three minutes to completely emulsify the oil into the vegetable juices, creating a velvety texture without dairy. For the finest mouthfeel, passing the blended liquid through a fine-mesh strainer removes any lingering fibrous bits from tomato skins and pepper membranes. Planning ahead requires zero cooking, yet storage demands attention because raw garlic intensifies significantly during refrigeration. Chilling the finished soup for up to three days allows the sherry vinegar to mellow, though seasoning must be rechecked immediately prior to serving since cold temperatures dull perceived acidity. Freezing is generally discouraged because the high water content in cucumbers and fresh tomatoes separates upon thawing, destroying the delicate emulsion built during the initial high-speed blend.
