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Gazpacho
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Marion’s Gazpacho


Chilled, chunky and chock full of healthy vegetables, this lively gazpacho makes a refreshing, simple first course all summer long.
Servings 2 to 3

Equipment

  • A cutting board, a knife, a food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 can tomatoes, about 15 ounce size, refrigerated thoroughly
  • cucumbers, about 1/2 to 3/4 pound (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1 firm red bell pepper, washed, the top removed, and seeded
  • 2 scallions
  • 2 teaspoons paprika (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice (see Kitchen Notes)
  • fresh cilantro or watercress, rinsed and roughly chopped—about 1/3 cup

Instructions

  • Cut the cucumber into large chunks and drop into the bowl of the food processor. Cut or break up the pepper into chunks and drop the chunks into the processor. Cut the root end off the scallions and peel off any leaves that you wouldn’t want to eat. Then cut each into 3 segments and add to the processor.
  • Add the tomato paste, olive oil, paprika and lime juice. Then take the can of tomatoes out of the refrigerator, open it and pour the tomatoes into the processor, along with juices. Put in the fresh cilantro or watercress.
  • Process everything. Work quickly. It’s best to work in spurts and stop to check the flavor and texture. You do not want to overprocess this and end up with sauce or juice. The goal is a nice crunchy chunkiness. You also want to be sure that no ginormous vegetable chunks have become irreducibly trapped in the blades. Cucumbers seem to be the biggest offender—if you see some outsized hunks of cucumber swanning around, fish them out (carefully!!!), chop them a little by hand and return to the processor for one more very brief ride.
  • As you are checking for uniform texture, also give it a taste to make sure it is appealingly zippy. Adjust with additional paprika or lime juice, and maybe a dash of hot sauce—Cholula is our current house brand.
  • Serve right away—if possible, in chilled bowls. If you can’t serve immediately then cover the soup and refrigerate it. Don’t leave this sitting around, even in the fridge, for long—freshness is the point. Later in the summer, if you have access to your own good home-grown tomatoes, and if you can keep from eating them straight off the vine right there in the yard, which personally I never could, then use them for this recipe.

Kitchen Notes

Cucumbers. If you are using unwaxed cucumbers, cut off the ends and partially peel the cukes, then cut into coarse chunks and drop into the processor. If you are using waxed cucumbers, peel completely.
Lime juice. As a variation, you may want to try vinegar, a more classic approach. I recommend a Japanese rice vinegar or, for a fuller taste, sherry vinegar.
Paprika. In case we have not said it enough in the past, use the best you can find. I prefer sweet paprika with this recipe—not smoked or hot—but, as always when it comes to food, I can see the argument for all sides.