Tomato Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a spicy Spanish soup traditionally served cool or at room temperature. This soup can also be strained and used as a mix for a Bloody Mary Cocktail.
Yield: 6 cups
1 kg ripe tomatoes, stems removed and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 yellow pepper, cored and roughly chopped
1 shallot, approximately 2 tablespoons, peeled and chopped
Juice of 2 lemons
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp hot sauce (like Tabasco)
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground pepper to taste
For soup:
1 cup (250ml) plain yogurt or sour cream
crusty bread to serve
For cocktails:
lemons, quartered
1 tablespoon celery salt, sprinkled onto a plate
celery sticks
tabasco to taste
Combine ingredients, in batches, in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. Taste, adding more heat, salt, or pepper to taste. If serving as a soup, chill soup until ready to serve. Stir well before serving. Top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
If making cocktails, strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pushing pulp through with the back of a spoon. Discard pulp. Run chopped lemons around the edge of a glass and dip rim into celery salt. Add ice to glass, a shot of Vodka or Gin, if desired, and top with tomato mixture to taste. Finish with a stick of celery and a splash of Tabasco and serve.
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