06 Aug Chef TJ’s Simple Spanish Gazpacho
When I think of Summer eats, soup does not enter my mind. I say this because soup, to me, evokes comfort food, cold nights and warm bellies. Obviously Summer is warm enough, who needs soup? Well after today at Donovan’s Dish I have a new found love for cold soups. The thought of them has always been a turn off to me; I mean the point of soup is to be warm right? Well today I got proved wrong. We had a very stylish lunch go out today and on the menu, Spanish Gazpacho. Gazpacho is served cold and at room temp.
I taste tested this Spanish jewel of soups and fell in love with my new Summer treat! How could I have gone this long in my life without ever eating this little fresh flavor bomb? I am now on a mission to sample as many Gazpacho’s as I can in the next few months to see how they stack up against Chef TJ’s. Chef Tj’s is light, with a beautiful cucumber aroma and a slight spice as the finish, it really is soup PERFECTION!
I can’t guarantee yours will come out as good as Chef TJ’s but with his recipe you are bound to have a delicious light Summer soup that will have you and your dining mates licking your bowl clean!
Chef TJ’s Spanish Gazpacho
What you’ll need:
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, crushed
5 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/3 cups water (may vary with desired consistency)
3 slices dry bread, crust removed and cut into chunks (Chef TJ uses French
baguette)
2 tbsp. Cream sherry
pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch leeks, shaved for garnish
How to:
Put the first 5 ingredients into a food processor. Add the olive oil. Pour in about half the water and place the bread on top. Process until thick and smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir is the remaining water. Add sherry, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours.
When you are ready to serve check the consistency and add more water if necessary; Sometimes the bread makes it too thick while it is chilling. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with shaved leeks and enjoy!
Be sure and let us know how your Gazpacho turns out. Tag us on Facebook @donovansdish or on Instagram #donovansdish