A dozen gazpachos from Mark Bittman
August 3, 2014 11:09 AM   Subscribe

The simple chilled soup is perfect for steamy August days.
Gazpacho is so easy that children old enough to manage a food processor or a blender can make it themselves. But whether or not you have pint-size sous chefs at your disposal, a recipe that requires minimal effort and in most instances no heat is always a good thing this time of year. So, here is that ubiquitous summer standby done a few ways that you’re probably familiar with and a bunch more that you’re probably not. (If Thai melon gazpacho is already in your rotation, good for you, and I surrender.) The “recipes” here amount to little more than lists of ingredients and quantities, because the method doesn’t bear repeating 12 times: Combine everything in a blender or food processor, process to your desired texture, chill in the refrigerator if you like, garnish and eat.

Recipes include six green gazpachos (avocado and pea; cucumber, grape, and hazelnut; kale and olive; Thai melon; tomatillo, avocado, and orange; and zucchini and herb) and six red gazpachos (classic; tomato, sesame, and soy; tomato, strawberry, and basil; Romesco-style; grilled; and tomato, radish, and tortilla).
posted by Lexica (68 comments total) 143 users marked this as a favorite
 
Ooooh. Thank you!

(my only quibble is I'm very much of the cook it then chill it school of gazpacho. Irons out the acidity of the tomatoes better. but damn thank you for this.)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:14 AM on August 3, 2014


See also ajoblanco.

If you'd like a first course which is also cold: melón con jamón. Ingredients: melon (the "piel de sapo" kind for preference), serrano ham. Put ham on melon. Done.
posted by sukeban at 11:25 AM on August 3, 2014 [6 favorites]


STOP FOODUCING ME MARK BITTMAN
posted by Foci for Analysis at 11:26 AM on August 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


I've thinned out Romesco to turn it into a cold soup before. It's delicious.
posted by ryoshu at 11:30 AM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Or you could follow Adria's recipe, sukeban, which involves making a stock from Iberico bones and thickened very slightly with xanthan, with encapsulated melon juice, served in a champagne glass.

(I've done it, though not with Iberico bones because holy hell who has that much money, and it's amazing.)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:31 AM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


(That said, should have put in my comment, I'd rather just wrap some cured pig around something sweet and nom. Figs are good too!)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:32 AM on August 3, 2014


My repsonse to Mark Bittman.
posted by Talez at 11:34 AM on August 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


That is not the point of melón con jamón. The point of melón con jamón is that it's two in the afternoon, it's hot, and you can't be arsed to cook at all.

FWIW, I hate gazpacho because I hate onions and bell peppers. My dad buys his from the supermarket and just adds diced onions and cucumber at serving time.
posted by sukeban at 11:37 AM on August 3, 2014


Well, that's one way to look at it I suppose.

Also, there's a variation of gazpacho made with almonds. No bell peppers and you don't need to use onions--usually has a bunch of garlic IIRC.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:39 AM on August 3, 2014


Yeeeeeah... it's called ajoblanco :P
posted by sukeban at 11:40 AM on August 3, 2014


Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:41 AM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


(Me derp not you derp)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:41 AM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Is it delicious food day on Metafilter? My go to cold soup is Cold Cherry Soup, which almost singlehandedly releases the weight of a big Hungarian meal.
posted by The Whelk at 11:49 AM on August 3, 2014 [6 favorites]


"Go back to Russia!"
posted by STFUDonnie at 11:49 AM on August 3, 2014 [4 favorites]


( I recently had a three-melon cream soup with frozen balls of melon floating like caviar inside it and now I want to make that at home)
posted by The Whelk at 11:50 AM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Nah. When it's unbearably hot the only thing I can eat is chilled watermelon soup: blend watermelon with salt, pepper and spoon of chorizo infused olive oil. Serve with a few mint leaves and cumin seeds. Add chorizo slices that have been cooling in the fridge.
posted by Marauding Ennui at 12:02 PM on August 3, 2014 [6 favorites]


Bonus points: sprinkle some feta on top!
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 12:05 PM on August 3, 2014


Oh my god, thank you for posting this. This is the BEST THING for me because of the combination of CSA boxes and an immersion blender in our household.
posted by kavasa at 12:11 PM on August 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


"Go back to Russia!"

Current temperature, NYCity, August 3, 3:11PM, 76 Fahrenheit.

I've yet to have my first summer margarita, G&T, or gazpacho, and at this rate....

(Heretic suggestion - a dollop of mayonnaise. Don't knock it if you haven't tried it.)
posted by IndigoJones at 12:11 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


This is perfect timing -- I just planned to make gazpacho tomorrow. Thank you Lexica!
posted by daisyk at 12:12 PM on August 3, 2014


Thai melon gazpacho

Sometimes, I do want to live on this planet.
posted by sidereal at 12:13 PM on August 3, 2014 [3 favorites]


I like gazpacho, but blender usually means mush. Kids can learn knife skills.
posted by Ideefixe at 12:18 PM on August 3, 2014


I prefer chunky Gazpacho. I make a large batch and take it for lunch. Tastes wonderful after sitting in the fridge for a few days, as the heat and spices take hold. If you don't like peppers or onions, use zucchini, celery, eggplant....
posted by what's her name at 12:23 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


I very highly recommend Tyler Florence's version.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:36 PM on August 3, 2014


This hits the spot! The only reason I don't make gazpacho more often is, in the early summer at mealtime, I decide the tomatoes are too good to do anything with except maybe peel them, sprinkle something on them and eat them in all their glory. They're gone now but in June and for about six weeks we have the celebrated Creole tomatoes, sweeter and redder than all the rest. During that time, we eat Creole tomatoes practically every meal, make them into sauce and do everything we can to preserve their fabulous taste. Whatever their actual variety, Celebrity, Creole or some other, these early tomatoes are the best. For the rest of the summer, local vine-ripened beefsteaks and heirlooms are still better than any tomatoes from the supermarket so now is the time for Gazpacho adventures.

Sukeban, I've been getting by with mere honeydew and prosciutto; I've never seen a Santa Clause melon and I can only dream of Serano ham. I'm itching to try the ajoblanco. I think it''d be brilliant to add anchovies and, even without a baked potato, that would be a meal to transport a body!
posted by Anitanola at 12:59 PM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


At least in Canada, Serrano is on par with prosciutto, cost-wise. Or is it just not available where you are? If so, I weep for your tastebuds.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 1:02 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Does anyone have a reliable/good ajoblanco recipe? It sounds captivatingly awesome.
posted by kenko at 1:13 PM on August 3, 2014


If it helps, I've seen melon con jamon done with watermelon and even pineapple, too. The piel de sapo is just the default melon you can find here.

And one more cold soup: salmorejo.
posted by sukeban at 1:20 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Not quite the same is Vichyssoise, which can be made rather nicely without the heavy cream or sour cream, and, while it requires cooking, can be eaten cold as well (although it's a good idea to up the seasoning a bit). Getting two or three dinners out of one kitchen-heating is a good deal, and a stick blender makes it a snap.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:27 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


kenko, try this one? It seems to check with Spanish language recipes like this one.
posted by sukeban at 1:28 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


(The recipes are all susceptible to alterations. The first comment on the "Spanish language" blog post is a "I thought it had more garlic?" and the reply is "Garlic is to taste, you can throw two or three cloves in, we like it mild").
posted by sukeban at 1:29 PM on August 3, 2014


Any suggestions for another cucumber-based one? The grape and hazelnut version Bittman suggests triggers a nut allergy and I have dozens of cucumbers from my garden just waiting to be pulverized into something delicious!
posted by jeremias at 2:13 PM on August 3, 2014


Hm. Do y'all peel the tomatoes for your tomato-based gazpachos? I love gazpacho but I usually don't make it cause removing the skins is kind of a hassle.
posted by asterix at 2:19 PM on August 3, 2014


> Hm. Do y'all peel the tomatoes for your tomato-based gazpachos? I love gazpacho but I usually don't make it cause removing the skins is kind of a hassle.

Yes! So easy. make a shallow cross on each tomato. Dunk in boiling water for 30-40 seconds. Pull em out, cool for a bit and easily peel.
posted by special-k at 2:23 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


jeremias: self link to my cucumber-melon soup recipe

asterix: removing tomatoi skins is very easy. With a super sharp knife, slit just through the skin from stem to tip four times, quartering the tomato. Drop into simmering or boiling water for about 30 seconds, remove and plunge into an ice bath. The skin should come right off with your fingers. (Timing may vary.)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 2:25 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


"Yes! So easy. make a shallow cross on each tomato. Dunk in boiling water for 30-40 seconds. Pull em out, cool for a bit and easily peel."

To this I would add that the shallow cross goes at the blossom end and I would arrest the cooking [cool them] in ice water.
posted by vapidave at 3:16 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Coring the stem out before putting them in the water helps too.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:24 PM on August 3, 2014


> I haven't tried it but-

Our thirteen year old daughter says that a lot.
posted by IndigoJones at 4:06 PM on August 3, 2014


Been gazpachoing couple times a week all summer. With garlic, without garlic, roasting the peppers, not roasting the peppers. It's always great.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 4:29 PM on August 3, 2014


I'm making salmorejo as we speak/type. It's Jersey Tomato season here, which is cause for celebration, and for all kinds of easy salads and cold soups—my favorite being simple tomatoes and cucumbers, either diced in a salad or blended into a soup, maybe with a jalapeno for fun.
posted by stargell at 4:35 PM on August 3, 2014


No, I know how to skin a tomato; that's the part I was referring to as a hassle. Please don't underestimate my laziness.
posted by asterix at 4:43 PM on August 3, 2014 [11 favorites]


I make my gazpacho with pickles. It is even more delicious that way.
posted by winna at 5:07 PM on August 3, 2014


I'll come peel your tomatoes in exchange for some scrapple, asterix. IYKWIM.
posted by kenko at 5:32 PM on August 3, 2014


Eatin' me some green gazpacho right not. Perfect. Thanks.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 5:48 PM on August 3, 2014


No, I know how to skin a tomato; that's the part I was referring to as a hassle. Please don't underestimate my laziness.

I don't bother peeling shit for gazpacho. Cut into manageable chunks and drop it into the blender. Chill.
posted by rocketman at 6:11 PM on August 3, 2014


[cntrl-f "red dwarf"
Phrase not found
Shakes head, wonders if relationship with metafilter is really OK, walks away muttering.]

posted by maxwelton at 6:21 PM on August 3, 2014 [5 favorites]


If we're throwing it open to chilled soups in general (and why the heck not), I just found a recipe for μηλόσουπα, pronounced mee-LOH-soo-pah — Greek chilled apple soup with curry.
posted by Lexica at 6:34 PM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Would consuming applesauce that's been chilled in the refrigerator, directly from the glass jar from which it was bought, and enjoyed as a refreshing slow-motion landslide of apple-y wonder count as a chilled soup here?

I'm asking for a friend.
posted by chambers at 7:06 PM on August 3, 2014


Gazpacho is also a fantastic name for a cat. She's adorable.

Future members of the family will be named Vichyssoise and Borscht.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:16 PM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


Just made the sesame/soy red gazpacho but used basil instead of cilantro because it was what I had on hand. Delicious!
posted by spitefulcrow at 7:25 PM on August 3, 2014


Ideefixe: "I like gazpacho, but blender usually means mush."

This is generally regarded as a feature of soup, not a bug. (Please refrain from fly-in-my-soup jokes.)
posted by gingerest at 7:38 PM on August 3, 2014 [1 favorite]


Just making the cucumber hazlenut grape one. Thanks for the dinner tonight metafilter it's already looking delicious.
posted by Carillon at 8:24 PM on August 3, 2014


In the late 70s my (Australian) father made gazpacho once for my mother's family in Chicago. My uncle had never heard of cold soup and didn't want to eat it. Dad went up to him and shouted "YOU BLOODY BIGOT!".

Everyone in my family likes gazpacho now.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 8:45 PM on August 3, 2014 [6 favorites]


Which one goes best with sleeping pills?
posted by apricot at 9:00 PM on August 3, 2014 [2 favorites]


I don't think anyone was suggesting that adding mayonnaise to gazpacho would salvage it for someone who loathes tomato-based foods. You appear to have come into a thread about cold summer soups, particularly cold tomato soups, to complain vehemently about cold tomato soup, which is sort of your-favorite-band-sucks.
posted by gingerest at 12:32 AM on August 4, 2014 [5 favorites]


Without the added "also" context the initial mayo-triggered comment sounds like it's coming from a devoted gazpacho fan and purist ;)

I would consider cold Mexican-style crema, sour cream, or mascarpone before the mayo, but for similar purposes...see also Borscht.
posted by aydeejones at 1:53 AM on August 4, 2014


You appear to have come into a thread about cold summer soups, particularly cold tomato soups, to complain vehemently about cold tomato soup

All hail tomato-free green gazpachos, which are part of what this post is about.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 2:36 AM on August 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


When I lived in Houston there was a restaurant we frequented during the summer recruiting season that had an amazing gazpacho on their lunch menu. I cannot recall now what was in it, other than it was tomatillo-based, chunky and rich, full of wonderful veggie flavors and spicy and cool at the same time. I loved it and I think I had it at least once a week for several summers.

During my last recruiting summer in Houston I was excited to revisit the gazpacho and made reservations at the first opportunity. I still remember the sinking feeling I had when that bowl was placed in front of my, and it was not my favorite tomatillo gazpacho, but some perfectly clear vaguely red-tinted liquid. I was informed upon inquiring that the chef had reformulated the gazpacho for this summer, and that it really was delicious. FALSE. Thin and cloying, this abomination tasted like liquefied jello. I was so disappointed, that was the last time I visited that restaurant.

Anyway, thanks to Mark Bittman and Lexica for this article--maybe with a bit of experimentation I can revist that gazpacho of my past.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:19 AM on August 4, 2014


I have a pint of mustard ice cream that I made specifically to put into gazpacho and then I never made gazpacho. This is just what I needed! Excellent post, would add to favorites again.
posted by troika at 7:26 AM on August 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


This is the finest posting ever made upon MeFi.

Until the one about cheeseburgers comes along.
posted by Chitownfats at 7:30 AM on August 4, 2014


If you don't think mayonnaise sounds like an interesting addition, what about its fragrant sibling, aioli?
posted by TedW at 8:05 AM on August 4, 2014 [2 favorites]


Or their cousin rouille? Classic garnish for bouilliabaisse.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:02 AM on August 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


I just made the cucumber, grape and hazelnut one for my housemates (subbing apple vinegar for the sherry vinegar). It was delicious and I'll certainly be trying the others!
posted by daisyk at 12:25 PM on August 4, 2014


How do y'all do the bread in these recipes? Just throw in a couple pieces of store bought?
posted by Clustercuss at 10:30 PM on August 4, 2014


Clustercuss: yeah, I use whatever I have to hand. Ideally it would be slightly stale, but that doesn't seem to make a big difference.
posted by daisyk at 10:50 PM on August 4, 2014


How do y'all do the bread in these recipes? Just throw in a couple pieces of store bought?

We use baguette-like bread with hard crusts. These recipes use day-old, dry bread like that. I don't think it's going to be the same with American-style white bread.
posted by sukeban at 10:59 PM on August 4, 2014


I tried a bunch of these but they all came out cold.
posted by cacofonie at 8:02 PM on August 6, 2014


Made the Thai Melon one tonight. It was oooookay, but far sweeter than I would have liked. I didn't have any shallots so I pan-fried half an onion in butter and used that instead. I also subbed in chardonnay for half the suggested volume of water. Am willing to believe these two substitutions were the cause of the problem. Will try one of the tomato ones later this week.
posted by 256 at 6:10 PM on August 13, 2014


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