Karl’s Tapas: Gazpacho (Cold Tomato Soup)

I am making a Spanish tapas dinner for this Sunday. This whole meal started because Miriam wanted this cold tomato soup. Gazpacho may be served as a tapas. I made this gazpacho a bit simpler than my last, simply because was making so many other dishes. Jan thinks of this dish as salsa soup.

Karl’s Tapas: Gazpacho

Ingredients

3 lb. tomatoes

1 medium red sweet pepper
1 Jalapeño pepper
1 cucumber, English
2 stalks celery
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs. flat-leafed parsley
2 Tbs. Semi-sweet Spanish sherry (Oloroso)
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
½ pepper
½ tsp. Kosher salt

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and blanch the tomatoes, sweet pepper, and Jalapeño pepper.

2. Remove the skins, seeds, and chop the vegetables coarsely and put them in a standing blender.

Tip: Put the tomato seeds in a sieve and press the jelly around the seeds into the bowl. Add the liquid to the blender.

Note: Reserve one quarter cup each of the tomato and red pepper and cut them into a ¼ inch dice. Reserve them in a small bowl. You will eventually be add these vegetables to the soup as a garnish.

3. Peel and deseed the cucumber, chop it coarsely, and add it to the blender.

Note: Reserve a quarter cup of the cucumber with the other vegetables in the small bowl.

4. Coarsely chop the celery and add it to the large bowl and mix the ingredients well.

Note: Reserve a quarter cup.

5. Finely chop two tablespoons of the red onion and reserve this for the garnish.

6. Coarsely chop the rest of the onion to the blender.

7. Add the garlic, parsley, sherry, sherry vinegar, olive oil, pepper, and salt to the blender.

8. Process the vegetables until smooth.

Tip: Scrape the sides of the blender so all of the vegetables get blended.

Note: If you wish, you may strain the mixture through a course sieve into the bowl.

9. Pour the gazpacho into a serving bowl and stir in most of the vegetables in the small bowl.

Tip: Reserve about a quarter cup of the vegetables to top the soup just before serving.

10. Refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours.

11. Serve the gazpacho garnished with the remaining vegetables and serve cold.