Cool it down: Chilled Gazpacho with Herby Crème Fraîche

August 04, 2022

I think I speak for most when I say soup is usually the last thing on my mind in the heat of summer. That is, unless you’re talking about gazpacho.

There are few things more refreshing on a hot summer afternoon than a freshly blended Andalucían-style gazpacho soup, blitzed up with the season’s freshest tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and a kick of spicy jalapeño.

It’s no surprise that this incredibly refreshing soup originated in Andalucía, the southernmost part of the Spanish peninsula that’s no stranger to temps topping 100°F in the summer (ouch!). While temps in the mid 80s in Jackson Hole have nothing on sweltering Spanish summers, it still merits some creativity in the kitchen to keep things cool. Rule number one: keep the oven off at all costs.

Depending on which way you look at it, gazpacho is essentially a savory smoothie, enjoyed with a spoon (or straw), a dollop of creme, and a hunk of toasted sourdough bread rubbed in salt and olive oil. It keeps well in a big jar in the fridge for the perfect summer appetizer or light dinner.

The 6” Deli and 3” Paring Knife are my go-to knives for blitzing up a big batch of gazpacho, the perfect tools to slice and dice the tomatoes before tossing them in the food processor. Then I’ll pull out the ready-for-anything 5” Chopper to coarsely chop up the onion, garlic, and peppers.

The 6” Deli is the hero of the hot, tomato-filled days of summer, with a perfect serrated edge that slices through tomatoes like hot butter. I don’t usually peel my vegetables, but I find that peeled cucumbers work best with this recipe, since it contributes to a smoother consistency for the soup. The broad belly of the 3” Paring lends itself to intuitive peeling and slicing, an incredibly versatile paring knife that easily slips the skin off tough veggies, cores strawberries, and even minces up garlic when you don’t want to dirty up another knife.

While traditional gazpacho is blended to a silkier consistency, I prefer to blend it slightly less for a more textured soup, but it’s entirely up to you. Enjoy!

Chilled Summer Gazpacho

Ingredients:

8 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup tomato juice
1-2 medium cucumbers, peeled roughly chopped
⅓ medium red onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ small jalapaño (more if you prefer it spicier), diced
2 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. your favorite hot sauce, plus more to taste
Sourdough bread, toasted (or grilled) and rubbed with olive oil and salt

Herby crème fraîche

1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 Tbsp. chives

1 Tbsp. Mint
1 Tbsp. Parsley
½ tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

Toss everything into a food processor or high speed blender.
Blend for about 5 minutes or until it resembles a thick soup. Continue blending if you prefer a thinner consistency. Add salt to taste.
Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Stir together all the ingredients in the creme fraiche.
Serve chilled soup with a dollop of herby creme fraiche and toasted sourdough bread.