I have to admit something. I really thought the green gazpacho recipe was going to be dreadful. However, upon tasting it, I was knocked out of my socks by the delicious subtlety of flavors. None of the raw vegetables overpowered the other. They all complimented one another like the perfect accessories to a classic sundress. The addition of sherry vinegar really helped to turn up the sparkle on the palate without making your lips pucker.
We blended the vegetables in a high-powered Vitamix blender. The result after sitting for a few minutes was a separation of the juice and an ethereal green foam worthy of a dinner at Emerald City in the legendary land of Oz. We poured the soup into white ramekins and spooned the foam on top. Then we garnished with some finely diced peeled cucumber and a leaf of cilantro. Elegant is the only word I can think of the describe the finished product. I really should start carrying my camera around with me again. You never know when you might want to capture a magical recipe.
That brings me to Sunday. Since my curiosity was peaked, I ended up spending a couple of hours researching the many forms of gazpacho. I discovered that gazpacho recipes came in nearly every color of the rainbow....red, green, peach, pink and white. I was most fascinated by the cantaloupe gazpachos garnished with crispy prosciutto. The resulting soup was an innocent pale peach hue. The watermelon recipe produced a blushing pink product. I also love the idea of creating a light, health-boosting dessert gazpacho with a blend of berries, melons and juicy fruits. One of my co-workers described the traditional Spanish version of White Gazpacho as a sweet whisper of chilled refreshment on a hot summer day. It includes almonds, green grapes and cucumbers. It seems you are only limited by your own imagination when it comes to these super cool blended soups.
The best tip I discovered for making the famous creamy Andaluz tomato based version was on the America's Test Kitchen website. They suggest salting the vegetables and allowing them to expel some of their juices for one hour before blending. In addition, they tell you to soak the bread in the collected vegetable juices instead of using water to thin the soup. Lastly, their recipes instructs you to stream the oil into the blender while it's running to create an emulsion. This produces a creamy, silky soup that is not oily at all. All great tips but I wouldn't expect anything less from ATK.
Below is a modified version of the Green Gazpacho recipe we made in the private lesson. I made changes based on my research and made it extra rich with the addition of avocado. Enjoy!
Creamy Green Gazpacho
Ingredients
Directions
Place first five ingredients in large colander set over a bowl. Toss the vegetables with kosher salt. Allow the vegetables to drain for at least one hour at room temperature. Add all the vegetables to a blender and process with some of the reserved juices. Add the vinegar, cilantro, diced avocado. Blend on high until smooth. Slowly pour in additional juices if needed to create desired consistency. With the blender running, drizzle the olive oil in constant stream to create a creamy emulsion. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Chill soup for at least an hour or over night to develop flavors. If the soup separates, simply blend the soup just before service. Garnish with cucumber, avocado, olive oil drizzle and chives.
Variations
- substitute the lettuce with spinach or arugula
- substitute the cilantro with basil or parsley (Italian or curly)
- substitute the Sherry vinegar with red wine vinegar
- add grilled shrimp, crabmeat or scallops to the garnish
- use a food processor and pulse vegetables if you want a chunky version
Resources: America's Test Kitchens - http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=25343
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