STRAWBERRY & TOMATO GAZPACHO

PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION) SERVES 6

There’s no wastage with this recipe. The fruit and vegetables are used in their entirety. Any peels and trimmings that are removed are deep-fried and used as garnish. 2 lebanese cucumbers (260g),

unpeeled

2 medium red onions (340g), unpeeled 1 cup (250ml) tomato juice

250g strawberries

4 medium tomatoes (600g),

chopped coarsely

2 medium red capsicums (400g),

chopped coarsely

1 clove garlic, peeled, skin reserved ¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar

¼ cup (60ml) olive oil vegetable oil, for deep-frying

1 Using a julienne peeler, peel cucumber skin into long thin strips. Place in a bowl of iced water; refrigerate until required (to curl the strips). Coarsely chop cucumber flesh. 2 Peel one onion; reserve the peels and trimmings, then coarsely chop the onion. Thickly slice the remaining unpeeled onion; separate into rings.

3 Place tomato juice, strawberries, tomato, capsicum and garlic in a blender with the chopped cucumber, chopped onion, vinegar and olive oil. Blend mixture until very smooth. Season to taste. Refrigerate for

2 hours or until well chilled.

4 Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan to 170°C. Line a large oven tray with paper towel. Working in batches, deep-fry onion rings in hot oil for 2 minutes or until golden. Transfer to tray to drain; sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat process with reserved onion peels and trimmings.

5 Serve soup topped with onion rings, fried peels and drained cucumber skin curls.