Classic Gazpacho
Makes 4 servings (5½ cups)
This might be a bit thinner than the gazpachos you’re used to, but its consistency is authentically Spanish. Be sure to rinse the tomatoes before you use them. Picual olive oil is recommended here for its buttery start and peppery finish.
Generous 2½ pounds tomatoes and their juices, hulled and chopped, plus diced tomatoes for garnish 1 small (3½ ounces) seeded, chopped red bell pepper, plus diced red bell pepper for garnish ²⁄3 cup (about 3 ounces) peeled, chopped cucumber (seedless or seeded), plus diced cucumber for garnish 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 slice day-old bread (crusts removed), torn into small pieces, plus small croutons for garnish (optional) 1½ teaspoons kosher or sea
salt, or more as needed 1½ tablespoons Jimenez or other good-quality Spanish sherry vinegar, or more as needed Small pinch ground cumin
(optional) ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably picual olive variety, plus more for optional drizzling (see headnote) Diced white onion, for
garnish Diced green bell pepper, for garnish
Instructions: Combine the chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, garlic and bread, if using, in an earthenware or glass bowl. Add the salt, vinegar and cumin, if using, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours and preferably overnight.
To make the soup the traditional way, mash all the ingredients in the bowl.
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a separate bowl, then, working in batches, use a flexible spatula to push the mashed mixture, including its liquid, through the strainer.
After you have extracted as much moisture as possible from the solids, discard them.
Faster ways: Process the marinated mixture through a hand-cranked food mill (using its smallest-holed screen); or place the marinated vegetables and their liquid in a highpowered blender and purée on the highest speed for about 1½ minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer. (Discard the solids afterward for both of those methods, too.) Stir the oil into the strained gazpacho. Taste; add salt and/or vinegar, as needed. Transfer to an airtight container; refrigerate until ready to use. Serve chilled, with the garnishes on the side — diced tomato, cucumber, onion, and red and green pepper; and croutons, if using — for everyone to help themselves. Drizzle with a little oil, if desired.