Easy Summer Gazpacho

This summer gazpacho is a vibrant, refreshing dish that perfectly captures the essence of the season. Bursting with the flavors of ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers, this chilled soup is both nourishing and invigorating. Ideal for hot days, it’s a no-cook recipe that allows you to enjoy the best of summer's bounty with minimal effort. Whether served as a starter or a light main course, this gazpacho is sure to become a seasonal favorite.

Serves 4 (makes 6 cups)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes plus 2 hours chilling

Ingredients:

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored

1 medium English cucumber (about 12 ounces), peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed 

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar, plus more to taste

Garnishes:

1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley)

Crostini

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Mark an X on the bottom of each tomato, then carefully add to the boiling water. Cook until the skin starts to pull away from the X, about 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to an ice bath. Once cool, remove from the ice bath, peel the skins from the tomatoes and discard. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze to remove the seeds. Strain out the juice and reserve, discard the seeds. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to a food processor with the reserved tomato juice, cucumber, shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Pulse until the vegetables are small, or until they reach your desired consistency to give the soup a bit of texture. Remove 1 cup of the vegetables and set aside in a large bowl. 

Add the tomato juice to the food processor with the remaining vegetables and puree until the soup is completely smooth. 

Pour the blended soup into the large mixing bowl with the reserved chopped vegetables, then stir in the red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled. This allows the flavors to meld together.

Before serving, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle the chilled gazpacho into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with chopped fresh herbs. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired and serve with crostini.

Cook's Notes:

Tomatoes: Use the ripest tomatoes you can find for the best flavor. Heirloom varieties are particularly good.

Chilling: Proper chilling is key to this dish. It not only enhances the flavor but also makes the soup incredibly refreshing on a hot day.

Adjusting Consistency: If the gazpacho is too thick, you can add a little more tomato juice or water to reach your desired consistency.