The Best Gazpacho
This Gazpacho, a smooth, garden fresh chilled soup, uses emulsified olive oil for an almost fluffy texture with a robust flavor, along with tomato, onion, and pepper. Serve very cold in chilled glasses
Yields: 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Chill Time: 6 hours to overnight
Special Equipment: Blender or hand blender, Fine-mesh strainer or food mill, Large pitcher
Ingredients
About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
One Italian frying pepper or another long, light green pepper such as Anaheim, cored, seeded, and roughly cut into chunks
One 8” long cucumber, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
One small mild onion, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
One garlic clove
2 tsp sherry vinegar, more to taste
Salt to taste
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling
Directions
Combine and Blend: In a high-speed blender or a deep bowl if using a hand blender, combine the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, and garlic. If necessary, work in batches to avoid overfilling the blender. Blend at high speed until the mixture is incredibly smooth, which should take at least 2 minutes. Pause occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula, ensuring all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Emulsify: With the blender motor still running, add the 2 teaspoons of sherry vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt. Slowly drizzle in the ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil. The mixture will visibly transform, changing to a bright orange or dark pink and becoming smooth and emulsified, similar to a creamy salad dressing. If the consistency appears watery, gradually add a little more olive oil, continuing to blend, until a creamy texture suitable for drizzling is achieved.
Strain and Chill: Carefully strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or a food mill. Use a spatula or the back of a ladle to push all the liquid through, extracting every drop of the flavorful gazpacho. Discard any remaining solids. Transfer the silky-smooth gazpacho to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill it thoroughly until it is very cold. This will take at least 6 hours, but for the best flavor and consistency, chilling it overnight is ideal.
Adjust and Serve: Before serving, give the gazpacho a good stir and taste. Adjust the seasonings as needed with additional salt and sherry vinegar to suit your preference. If the soup is too thick for your liking, stir in a few tablespoons of ice water until you reach your desired consistency. Serve the gazpacho in glasses or bowls, over ice if desired, for an extra chill. For a perfect finishing touch, drizzle a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil on top of each serving. Enjoy!
