Sunday, June 21, 2009 | Food, Recipes
SP Soup’s up

Cool off with gazpacho

Photos/Courtesy of Holy Taco

By Robert Phalen

During the hot Atlanta summer months, a cooling and soothing gazpacho can be a big hit. Since the main ingredient in gazpacho is tomato, it also makes an ideal summer dish because you can use fresh, in-season produce. Using fresh ingredients at their peak will allow them to taste their best.
This is a traditional Spanish gazpacho recipe with a little kick. At Holy Taco, our gazpacho has a bit of spice on the end of the palate from the chipotles we add. We top it with a hard-boiled farm egg because in Spain, chefs like to put eggs on almost everything. They are also very proud of their Serrano ham, so we garnish with that, too. Serrano comes from a region in Spain, just like the similar Prosciutto comes from Italy.

Our gazpacho is nice and smooth. Some people chop the ingredients to make gazpacho, but I like it pureed. Chopped gazpacho looks too much like salsa, and if I wanted a bowl of salsa, I would just get one.

The soup is made with Roma tomatoes because they have a nice sweet flavor that works well with the other ingredients and the coolness of gazpacho. In order to roast the tomatoes, first score them with a paring knife. This means you make a small “x” at the bottom. Add a little oil and salt, then place them in the oven at 300 degrees F. for about 20 minutes. When you take them out, the tomatoes should peel easily. After you peel them, remove the seeds, too. This slight roasting adds a nice flavor to the soup.

All of the ingredients that go in the blender together should be slightly chopped. You can also mix everything in a bowl first, then blend. However, make sure you keep out the olive oil and drizzle it in during blending, or else the soup will separate. If you are wondering about the day-old bread, it’s in there to give the soup body. When choosing a blender, use the same one you would use to make drinks; otherwise it will be chunky. I have already discussed my feelings on chunky gazpacho. You want the blending to leave you with a smooth, refreshing soup.

This recipe will serve 10 to 12 people. If you don’t have that many at home, you can keep the gazpacho in the refrigerator up to about a week and a half. The vinegar helps it last a bit longer. Since the soup is made mostly from tomatoes, you will definitely be able to tell if it goes bad.
Many of our guests order a big bowl of gazpacho as their meal. If you want to serve it as a soup course or side dish, it goes well with fish. Consider something a bit different like a sautéed skate wing. Enjoy this refreshing summer dish. SP
Robert Phalen is the executive chef at Holy Taco. 1314 Glenwood Avenue. 404-230-6177. www.holy-taco.com.

GAZPACHO

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Put first eight ingredients into a blender and puree. Add the sherry. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until a bright orange color is achieved. Season with salt, if desired. Garnish with hard-boiled farm egg cut in half with yolk showing and top with a little Serrano ham. Drizzle with olive oil.