Gazpacho

What better way to ring in the scorching heat of an NYC summer than with chilled soup. No flaming burners required.

Gazpacho was my favorite dish when I lived in Spain, and it was my señora’s specialty (yep, the infamous señora). But I’ve turned to Ina Garten, one of my all-time Food Network favorites, for her take on this no-cook dish. The Barefoot Contessa makes it virtually effortless to prep her gazpacho, pulsing together a mix of fresh veggies with a splash of white wine vinegar and olive oil. I’ve topped off my bowl with a chopped hard-boiled egg to stay true to traditional Spanish cuisine.

Shopping List

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 cups tomato juice
• 3 garlic cloves, very finely minced
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup good quality Extra Virgin olive oil (recommended brand: Lucini)
  
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Hard-boiled eggs, for garnish (optional)

Recipe

Makes 4-6 servings. Gazpacho recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes and red onions into 1-inch cubes.

Separately place each vegetable into a food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped, being careful not to over-process it.

Combine all of the the finely chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Stir in the tomato juice, finely minced garlic, vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, 3 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Garnish with chopped hard-boiled egg, if desired.