Gazpacho With Cool As A Cucumber Garnish

This is a variation of the gazpacho in my cookbook “Cool Food”. It’s great for company as you can make the soup the day before and just whip up the garnish a little ahead of your guests’ arrival.

Serves 8-10

Base:

6 large ripe tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley leaves
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt

Peel and seed the cucumber, cutting it into quarters lengthwise. Salt it well and put in a colander to drain while you prepare the tomatoes.

Peel the tomatoes by submerging them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and allow them to cool until they can be handled. The skins will come off easily. Peel and seed the tomatoes.

Rinse the cucumber, pat dry and cut into large chunks. Put the cucumber, tomatoes, parsley and tomato juice in the blender and blend until well combined. Stir in the oil, vinegar and salt. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow all the flavors to meld.

Garnish:

1 large cucumber
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

To make the garnish, prepare the second cucumber as you did the first. Coarsely chop the basil and combine in a food processor. Pulse until minced but not completely pureed. Add a little salt to taste.

To serve, ladle base into individual shallow bowls and place a tablespoon of the garnish in the center of each bowl.