Gazpacho with croutons and garlic
4 servings
30 minutes
Gazpacho is a cold Spanish soup filled with fresh aromas and summer coolness. Its roots go back to Andalusian cuisine, where it was a peasant food: simple yet rich. Gazpacho with croutons and garlic is a vibrant combination of sweet ripe tomatoes, a hint of garlic's spiciness, and the freshness of mint. It refreshes and quenches thirst on hot days, while the added croutons give it a pleasant texture. Crispy bread soaked in creamy and olive oil enhances the flavor. Wine vinegar adds acidity, balancing the sweetness of the vegetables. This soup is perfect for a summer dinner, and its lightness makes it ideal for healthy eating. Gazpacho can be served as a standalone dish or as part of a Spanish feast where it provides a refreshing contrast to richer dishes.
1
Wash all vegetables and greens and dry them with a paper towel. Remove seeds and stems from the pepper and chop finely. Peel the cucumber and chop it finely. Chop the tomatoes (ideally the 'ladyfinger' variety) finely. Peel the onion and garlic and chop them finely. Also chop the chili pepper and mint (set aside a couple of sprigs for garnish) finely.
- Fresh red bell pepper: 0.5 piece
- Green bell pepper: 0.5 piece
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Cucumbers: 0.5 piece
- Shallot: 2 heads
- Tomatoes: 3 pieces
- Fresh mint: 10 g
- Chili pepper: 0.5 piece
2
Set aside a couple of tablespoons of chopped sweet pepper and cucumber in a separate dish for adding to the finished soup. Place the remaining vegetables, mint, chili, vinegar, breadcrumbs, and ketchup in a large deep bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour in 425 ml of ice-cold water; mix everything. Then send this mixture in portions to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Then pour everything into a pot and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours.
- Fresh red bell pepper: 0.5 piece
- Cucumbers: 0.5 piece
- Fresh mint: 10 g
- Chili pepper: 0.5 piece
- Red wine vinegar: 55 ml
- Breadcrumbs: 25 g
- Ketchup: 1 teaspoon
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
3
While the soup cools, you can prepare croutons. For this, melt 10 grams of butter in a pan, mix it with 10 grams of olive oil, and add diced white bread to the pan. Fry the bread until golden brown, constantly stirring and shaking the croutons.
- Butter: 10 g
- Olive oil: to taste
- White bread: 20 g
4
Pour the cold gazpacho into bowls. Drizzle olive oil on top of the soup and garnish with mint leaves. Place sliced sweet pepper, cucumber, and croutons in a bowl next to each plate.
- Olive oil: to taste
- Fresh mint: 10 g
- Fresh red bell pepper: 0.5 piece
- Cucumbers: 0.5 piece
- White bread: 20 g
