Gazpacho - A Refreshing and Hearty Soup

Ingredients

* 1 lb /450 g tomatoes
* ½ lb / 225 g green peppers (bell pepper, capsicum)
* ½ cucumber
* clove of garlic
* 2 oz / 50 g white bread, 2-3 days old (also optional, leave out for a thinner soup)
* ½ mild Spanish onion
* 1 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* %u2153 pt / 2.4 dl iced water
* sea salt and black pepper
* ice cubes

Optional

* ¼ chilli pepper, seeds removed
* Cilantro

Garnish

* 1 tomato, skinned
* ½ green pepper
* ¼ peeled cucumber
* bread

Procedure

Skin the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Remove seeds and stalks from peppers. Peel the cucumber and cut into chunks. Tear up the bread and soak it in water for 30 minutes and then squeeze it dry. Cut up the onion.

Blend all the ingredients until roughly chopped, not too fine, because the soup should have texture and discernible vegetable bits. Pour into large bowl with some ice, add salt and pepper. Then prepare the garnishes. Dice the bread and fry it in a little olive oil until brown. Chop the other vegetables finely. Serve in separate little bowls on the table, so that guests can sprinkle on their own toppings.

Serve chilled.

Ingredients

* 4 cups (946 mL) = 1.5 lb. (630 g) tomatoes
* 2 cups (473 mL) = 1 lb. (454 g) pitted peaches
* 0.25 cup (59 mL) crushed ice
* 2 T (30 mL) chopped shallot
* 2 T (30 mL) olive oil
* 1.5 T (22 mL) white-wine vinegar
* 1 T (15 mL) chopped fresh tarragon (8 sprigs)
* 1 t salt
* 0.5 t black pepper

Equipment

Medium size bowl. Small size bowl. Blender (strong enough to chop ice). Knife for cutting vegetables. Cutting board. Measuring cup. Measuring spoons. Scales optional.

Procedure

1. Cut the tomato into sections and place 2/3 into the blender, set the other 1/3 to the side in the small bowl
2. Run the blender on high speed to purée the tomatoes
3. Cut the pitted peaches into sections and place 1/2 into the blender, set the other 1/2 to the side in the small bowl
4. Add the peaches to the tomato purée and blend on high speed to purée the peaches
5. Cut the shallot into sections and place into the mixture and purée
6. Chop the fresh tarragon removing and discarding any large stems and place the leaves into the blender mixture and purée
7. Add olive oil, white wine vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper to blender and mix well
8. Add crushed ice into the blender and purée for 30 seconds on highest power
9. Add contents from small bowl into blender and pulse blend on lowest setting very briefly (this will provide some texture to gazpacho with small chunks of tomato and peach)
10. Serve right away as chilled gazpacho soup

Notes, tips, and variations

* For garnish sprinkle some fresh tarragon leaves on the gazpacho
* To add some variety, add a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream to the center
* You can purée all the ingredients in one batch, then add the ice and blend to make a smoothie
* You can substitute a red onion for shallot