Cherry Gazpacho
GAZPACHO HISTORY: While gazpacho has become synonymous with cold soup, it’s actually one of the oldest recipes in the Mediterranean. It hails originally from Andalusia and traditional recipes always include stale bread. Indeed, it is one of the countless recipes for sauces, soups, and condiments throughout the Mediterranean that make use of leftover, old bread – remember, nothing is ever thrown away that can be eaten! Today, the most popular versions of gazpacho are tomato-based and a little spicy, but the fruit has entered the mix, too, and so this cherry gazpacho is a great way to start a meal, especially when cherries are in season and in all their sweet and tart glory.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds or 1-kilo of ripe tomatoes
- 1 pound or 250 grams of fresh sweet cherries pitted and a few more for garnish
- 1 small green pepper chopped seeds removed
- 1/2 small red onion roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1/4 cup good apple vinegar.
- 1/2 cup Greek extra virgin olive oil.
- 10 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves only and a few more to serve
Instructions
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Cut a small cross at the bottom of each tomato. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and plunge the tomatoes in the water for 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice water. Using a paring knife, remove and discard the tomato skins.
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Chop the tomatoes and cherries and place them in a bowl with the pepper, onion, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and thyme leaves. Mix them up and leave them to macerate in the liquid at room temperature for at least an hour or up to three.
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Transfer the tomato mixture to the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth, in batches if necessary. Cover and let in the fridge for the whole night. This soup is served the next day.
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Taste and adjust the seasoning as the cold soup usually needs more salt and pepper. Serve chilled, sprinkled with thyme, a few whole cherries and drizzled with Greek olive oil.
