Still got tomatoes? “Gazpacho Mediterráneo”, Recipe for a Cold Soup

6 large, ripe fresh tomatoes (or 12 small ones:)

1 red bell pepper

2 green bell peppers

1 cucumber

1 big heart of a large red or sweet onion

1 heaping teaspoon of fresh or roasted, minced garlic (I prefer roasted)

2 slices of day old (or toasted) bread

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 to 1 cup of water

Ingredients for Garnish Only:

1 cup cucumber, cut into small cubes

1 cup of croutons or toasted, rustic style or plain bread cubes

1 cup of de-veined and de-seeded red pepper, cut into small squares

1 cup of red or sweet onion, thinly sliced and chopped (but not quite minced)

Salt, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste (or drizzle)

Equipment needed:

 A medium sized sieve

A blender or food processor

A large, non-reactive bowl

Directions for Soup Only:

Remove the crust from the two slices of bread, set it in a small bowl and add enough water to cover.  Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and set aside.  Wash all the soup vegetables and peel the cucumber and onion.  (This is very important as this soup is not cooked!)  Cut soup vegetables into chunks and mix together along with the garlic and softened bread mixture.

Using a food processor or electric blender, puree the vegetable mixture in small batches, adding a tablespoon or two of water if necessary to completely puree.  As you remove each batch push it through a sieve into a glass bowl.  This will remove about a third of the volume but will capture the bitter skin of the tomatoes and peppers and the cucumber fiber and seeds. 

The mixture is too thick to drain through a fine sieve without assistance, so I generally use a tablespoon and press the mixture against the sides and bottom as if I am stirring pancake batter.  Light-handed cooks might not find this as easy as I do, but it takes only a few minutes to push all the liquid through to the bowl.  Discard the fibrous material in the sieve or throw it into your compost heap.

The soup should be foamy and creamy-looking, although it is not particularly thick, which is also part of its charm and adds to the delicate appearance.  After all batches of the soup are sieved, taste the soup and season as desired with additional salt, olive oil or vinegar.  Do remember that your garnish ingredients will include these three things, so a little goes a long way.  So many people are on low salt diets, I generally skip adding salt but let my diners add their own.  Cover and refrigerate the soup.

Directions for Garnish Only:

The croutons can be served as is, but if you are using bread, cut it into cubes with or without the crust.  Wash, peel and separately cut the vegetables carefully into pieces that are elegantly and equally sized.  Each garnish ingredient should be presented separately in its own bowl.  Olive oil and balsamic vinegar should also be served so that guests can drizzle them over their soup along with a tablespoon or two of the garnish ingredients. 

There are many variations of this soup - one of which uses cider vinegar - but I like the deeper flavor and darker color of the balsamic vinegar.  Candidly, the soup doesn’t need any garnish, but your guests may enjoy adding those ingredients they particularly like and it seems more festive. 

Incidentally, please don’t be tempted to skip the sieving step.  The first time I made this soup I retained the vegetable skins and fiber thinking it would be more ‘healthful’.  (Note to self:  If no one eats it, nutritional content is irrelevant.)  The soup was terribly bitter from the pepper skins, then the cucumber seeds and tomato skins spoiled the presentation and created a horrible texture.

The recipe serves six generously. It is served chilled for at least an hour and should be served within a day of preparation for the most appealing and delicate flavor. Also, it is generally a 'harvest' soup, as the stored, grocery market vegetables often lack the ripeness needed to give this soup its sweet full flavor.