Recipes for Summer: Easy Breezy Gazpacho with a Middle Eastern Twist
When the weather is this warm, the idea of standing in the kitchen, even for an hour, to cook a hot meal is akin to torture. Right now we’re craving refreshing dishes that take very little time and effort to prepare; the less time spent in the kitchen the better! For that, Gazpacho is the perfect answer.
Gazpacho is a delicious Andalusian chilled soup that’s full of nutritious fresh vegetables and is just perfect for summer. The dish came to be during Roman times when soldiers would carry stale bread, garlic, olive oil and vinegar with them on their voyages; the three ingredients would be ground into a paste to make a delicious and hearty soup.
The soup comes together in a matter of minutes and traditionally requires no cooking whatsoever – the recipe we’re using has the amazing addition of toasted croutons, but these take no more than a few minutes in the oven.
This recipe was adapted from Cardamom and Tea.
Ingredients
1 kg ripe tomatoes
2 tb tomato paste (optional)
3 tb lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic
2 slices white toast
2 tb sumac
½ tsp black pepper
Salt (to taste)
¼ cup olive oil
1 large cucumber
1 small green pepper
1 small bunch green onion
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup parsley
2 loaves baladi bread
1 tb olive oil
Instructions
For the red half: Place the tomatoes in a blender, along with the tomato paste (optional – use if your tomatoes are mild in flavor), about half the lemon juice, half the garlic, one piece of toast, all of the sumac, and all of the black pepper. Season to taste (about ¼ teaspoon salt). Blend until completely smooth. With the blender running, very slowly drizzle in half of the extra virgin olive oil through the small hole in the top of the lid, so that it emulsifies and becomes creamy. Remove the red half of the gazpacho by pouring it into a large measuring cup or another container with a pour spout. Rinse out the blender but don’t bother washing it.
For the green half: Place the cucumbers, bell pepper, green onions, mint, parsley, the other half of the lemon juice, the other half of the garlic, and the other quarter piece of toast in the blender. Season to taste (about 1 pinch). Blend until completely smooth, and again slowly drizzle in the other half of the extra virgin olive oil.
Set both the red and green batches in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.
For the bread chips: Cut the baladi bread into little triangles. Toss lightly in extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt (to taste) and bake for around 10-20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until toasted. Set aside to cool.
Once chilled, serve the soup with a handful of pita chips, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkling of sumac.
Bel hana wel shefa!