Gazpacho – Chilled Tomato Soup with Raw Vegetable Salsa

I had some tomatoes in the refrigerator that needed to be used up and fast, so what better than a chilled soup on a hot summer’s day? JT doesn’t like raw onions so I always make this soup cooked and then cool it down. JT gave this one a 9.5/10! The balsamic gives the soup a sweetness but because you reduce it, there isn’t the sharpness!

Serves 2 for lunch or 4 as a small cup Appetizer

Ingredients Soup

• 1/2 an onion thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp E.V. Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 450 g chopped tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100 g finely diced celery
• Sea salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 cup beef broth (I always use low sodium)

Directions Soup

1. Place olive oil and onions in a medium saucepan (not cast iron), and sweat for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until the balsamic is reduced.
3. Add garlic, celery and beef broth and cook until everything is soft.
4. Purée with an immersion blender until smooth.
5. Force through a fine mesh sieve to remove tomato skins and seeds.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Chill for several hours.

Ingredients Garnish

• 60 g celery finely diced
• 6 cherry tomatoes (these were from my tomato garden) finely diced
• 1 small radish finely diced
• 1 small garlic very finely chopped (or on a microplane)
• 3-4 sprigs each parsley and basil finely chopped
• 1 medium leaf mint finely chopped
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 tsp crumbled feta per plate

Directions Garnish

1. Mix all ingredients together and set aside to allow flavours to develop (1/2-1 hr should be enough).
2. Pour soup into bowls, and spoon garnish onto centre (some will sink, but then you can build it up so the garnish shows in the centre).
3. Add crumbled feta. Drizzle with olive oil if you wish.
4. Enjoy!

Read Full Post »