Gazpacho -

What, pray tell, is more refreshing on a hot summer day than a bowl of gazpacho? The Spanish no-cook dish is perfect for summertime when tomatoes are in season and you can’t be bothered to heat the house with the oven.

It’s common to use soaked, leftover bread as an ingredient blended into gazpacho but I don’t love that texture as much as silky vegetable soup slopped up with a beautiful fresh slice (or four) of sourdough bread. Yum! That also makes this recipe gluten free, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The first time I made this, I used a whole onion. Nope, nope, nope. Why does every recipe on the internet seem to use a whole onion? That was way too pungent for me so I recommend a quarter to half of an onion. I put herbs on top but parsley and basil would also be delicious blended in!

Why is this orange and not red, you ask? Many americans add tomato sauce or paste to gazpacho for the red color but authentic gazpacho is typically more orange or even pink. I used a whole English cucumber here with an orange bell pepper, which dilutes the red from the tomatoes a bit.

Now I love a smooth gazpacho with chunky garnishes but if you prefer a more textured gazpacho, puree half of the veggies and then add the rest, blending only a bit so it’s chunkier. Some people finely dice all of the vegetables for a super chunky gazpacho but I’ll stick with my silky smooth texture and crispy cherrywood smoked bacon topping! It really is the perfect dish for the height of summer.

Gazpacho
Serves 4
2 lbs roma tomatoes
1 small English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 red or orange bell pepper, cored
1/2 small yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
For garnish: crispy bacon, avocado, cucumber, sliced cherry tomatoes, basil

Blend ingredients to desired consistency. Chill for four hours before serving.
Just before serving, fry up bacon, cut avocado into chunks, slice cucumbers, and halve cherry tomatoes. Garnish with crispy bacon, avocado, cucumber, sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and a bit of olive oil drizzled on top. Serve with sourdough bread and a sprig of basil.

This is delicious served alongside manchego cheese, chorizo, and kalamata olives. I got these olives from Amanida and they are the best olives I’ve found in the US! (Spoiler alert: they’re imported from the Mediterranean and it shows.)