A little about this dish
An irresistible fusion of traditional gazpacho with crisp lettuce brunoise, this recipe brings a refreshing and vibrant touch to your table, capturing the essence of Spanish summer in a bowl. The key ingredients are juicy ripe tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, and a dash of sherry vinegar, offering a burst of flavors and textures.
Ingredients (for 4)
- 2 heads romaine lettuce — 2 heads — chopped and separated to leaves and stems
- 6 ripe tomatoes — 6 — diced, save the seeds and juice
- 2 small cucumbers — 2 — peeled and diced
- 2 green bell peppers — 2 — de-seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic — 2 cloves — minced
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar — 2 tablespoons
- Extra virgin olive oil — 1/2 cup, plus more for drizzling
- Salt — to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- Handful small croutons — Handful
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🥬💧🥶Blanch all the lettuce stems and half the lettuce leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately immerse them in ice water, then drain.
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Step 2 — 🥬🍅🥒🌶️🧄🌀Blend the lettuce stems and leaves together with half the tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, and garlic in a blender until smooth.
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Step 3 — 🍷🛢️🧂🌑🔄Add sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and blend again.
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Step 4 — 🍵🔍🗑️💦Pass the soup through a fine strainer to remove any solids, pressing to extract all the liquid.
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Step 5 — 🍵🕑❄️Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
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Step 6 — 🔪🥬🍵🕑While the soup is chilling, dice the remaining lettuce leaves very finely to form a brunoise.
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Step 7 — 🍵🥣🥗🍅🥖🛢️Serve the soup in bowls and top with the lettuce brunoise, remaining diced tomatoes, and croutons. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil before serving.
A final fox tip
Gazpacho, a cold soup, originated in the southern region of Andalusia, Spain. Traditional gazpacho includes tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers, but this recipe gives it a unique twist with the addition of lettuce. For a spicy kick, you can add a jalapeno pepper in your blend or top with some sliced radishes. You could also serve with a side of rustic bread to make this full meal!