Recipe: Williams Sonoma Gazpacho, Gazpacho Verde, and Traditional Gazpacho - Recipes for Kim

GAZPACHO
Source: Williams-Sonoma Kitchen
Servings: 6 to 8

Even if vine-ripened summer tomatoes are not available, you can still enjoy gazpacho, the chilled soup from Spain. This recipe calls for quality canned tomatoes, which impart deep, rich flavor to the soup.

1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste
1 cup low-sodium tomato juice
1 can (28 oz.) San Marzano tomatoes*
4 slices French or Italian bread, each 1 inch thick, crusts removed, bread cut into cubes
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
FOR THE GARNISHES:
Diced hard-cooked egg
Diced red and/or green bell peppers
Finely minced red onion
Croutons

In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry, vinegar and tomato juice. Set aside.

In a blender, working in batches, combine the tomatoes and bread and puree until smooth, 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl.

In the blender, combine the onion, garlic and a little of the sherry mixture and puree until smooth. Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.

In the blender, combine the bell pepper, cucumbers and a little of the sherry mixture and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.

Whisk in the olive oil and the remaining sherry mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt. Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish each serving with diced egg, bell peppers and minced onion. Float the croutons on top.

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GAZPACHO VERDE
Source: Vegetarian for All Seasons by Pamela Sheldon Johns; Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, (Time-Life Books, 1998
Servings: 6

Tomatillos stand in for the ripe red tomatoes that are the usual base for this cold summer soup from Spain. Toasted walnuts take the place of the bread that thickens the soup. Green tomatoes make an interesting substitute for the tomatillos. For a sweet flavor boost, roast 6 to 8 peeled garlic cloves along with the tomatillos and puree them with the other ingredients.

1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 jalapeno chilies, halved and seeded
1/4 cup walnuts
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 English (hothouse) cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 jicama, peeled and diced

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.

Place the tomatillos, onion slices and jalape os on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until lightly browned and softened, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Spread the walnuts on another ungreased baking sheet and toast until fragrant and just beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Place the cooled vegetables and nuts in a blender or food processor along with the bell pepper, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lime juice and parsley. Process until smooth.

Transfer to a non-aluminum bowl and season with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.

Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish each serving with a spoonful of diced jicama. Serve immediately.

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TRADITIONAL GAZPACHO
Source: Soup for Supper by Joyce Goldstein; Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series (Time-Life Books, 1998)
Servings: 6 to 8

When the weather is hot and the tomato season is at its peak, make a huge batch of this soup. Bread is traditionally incorporated into the soup base (gazpacho means "soaked bread" in Arabic). Here, it is added later, in the form of garlic croutons, preferably warm, for a wonderful contrast of temperatures and textures.

6 to 8 large beefsteak or other full-flavored tomatoes
1 small sweet yellow or red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
6 Tbs. red wine vinegar, or to taste
2 regular or 1 English (hothouse) cucumber halved, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 Tbsp. for frying croutons
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 or 4 slices French or Italian bread, each 1-inch thick, crusts removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup finely minced red onion

Bring a large saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Have ready a large bowl of ice water.

Meanwhile, cut a shallow cross in the blossom end of each tomato and then remove the core. Carefully slip the tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water to cool. Remove from the water and peel immediately.

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. In a blender or food processor, puree 3 of the tomatoes until liquefied and transfer to a large bowl. Reserve the remaining tomatoes.

Put the onion in the blender or food processor. Chop 3 of the garlic cloves and add them as well. Puree, adding a bit of the vinegar if needed for a smooth consistency. Add to the bowl with the tomato puree.

Add the cucumbers with a little of the vinegar to the blender or processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Add to the bowl as well.

Chop the remaining tomatoes coarsely in the blender or processor. Add to the bowl.

Whisk in the 1/2 cup olive oil and the remaining vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Just before serving the soup, in a large fry pan over medium heat, warm the 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Crush the remaining garlic clove, add to the pan and cook to release its fragrance, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the bread cubes and stir and toss until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; keep warm.

Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with salt. Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish each serving with the diced bell pepper and the minced red onion. Float the croutons on top and serve.