Gazpacho is a warm-weather soup. In other words, it’s a cold, slurpy, thirst-quenching soup, spiked with chile heat. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it year-round.
The Spanish vegetable soup is tomato-based and mixed with a cornucopia (or in this case, a sheet pan) of chopped vegetables. Many preparations suggest blending the whole lot, or blending half and mixing the result with the remaining vegetables.
I opt for no blending at all. I prefer to chop and dice all the vegetables and tumble them into a bath of citrusy, spice-infused tomato juice. The result is a delightfully juicy and crunchy soup. You could call it a liquid salad.
Gazpacho is a great way to clear your vegetable drawer, too. There are many riffs you can make when preparing this soup by tipping the balance of vegetables and spices in a certain direction. This recipe leans toward the Southwestern-style, with a healthy infusion of cumin, chile peppers, cilantro and lime.
With that said, it’s important to mind a few rules of thumb: Use a good-quality tomato juice as a base. Be sure to add a cucumber (seeded), which provides a cool, juicy, neutral component to the soup. Make sure you have a balance of sweet and savory vegetables for a perfect bite. Red bell peppers add crisp sweetness, as do finely chopped sweet carrots, which keep their crunch. Fennel is an outlier that adds a crisp anise note to the soup (and I had it in my refrigerator!).
Try to cut the vegetables in a similar size for a perfect mouthful. While this step takes some time, you can consider the chopping a form of exercise on a hot and muggy day, when it’s impossible to go out for a jog. Once assembled, the soup will be quite thick; it will become juicier while chilling. Refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 1 hour to properly chill and to allow the flavors to meld.
Southwestern Gazpacho
Yield: Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
- 1 English cucumber with skin, seeded, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
- 1 poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
- 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely chopped
- 1/2 sweet white or red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a press
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
- Lime wedges for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro and parsley in a large bowl.
2. Stir to blend and taste for seasoning.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
4. Before serving, stir in the cilantro and parsley. Taste again for seasoning. Serve with lime wedges.
