Basic Red Gazpacho
I do have a few rules of my own for gazpacho: First, try to avoid green bell pepper. Even if it looks nice, this underripe fruit adds crunch at the price of bitterness; use red or yellow peppers instead. Second, the raw flavors of uncooked gazpacho really do seem to mellow when you allow them to meld for a few hours or even overnight; while not essential, this is a nice touch. And finally, sherry vinegar (or high-quality wine vinegar) is preferable to balsamic vinegar in gazpacho; not only is it more authentic, but its cleaner flavor provides better balance.
- About 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and roughly chopped
- 2 pickling (Kirby) cucumbers,
- 1 small firm cucumber, or about ⅓ seedless (“English”) cucumber, peeled if necessary and roughly chopped
- 4 slices stale good-quality white bread (about ¼ pound), crusts removed
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tablespoon or more sherry vinegar or good quality wine vinegar, or to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Mince a bit of the tomato, pepper, and cucumber for garnish and set aside. Soak the bread in a cup of water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water.
- Place the bread in a blender or food processor with the unminced tomato, pepper, and cucumber, 6 cups water, the garlic, and the vinegar. Process cups water, the garlic, and the vinegar. Process until smooth, then add the olive oil slowly, with the machine running.
- Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve; the flavor will improve over a few hours. Before serving, check the seasoning again and garnish with the reserved tomato, pepper, and cucumber.