Serves 6
Preparation time 20 minutes, plus chilling
Ingredients:
875 g (1¾ lb) tomatoes, skinned and
roughly chopped
2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and
roughly chopped
½ cucumber, roughly chopped
2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and
roughly chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ red chilli, deseeded and sliced
small handful of coriander or flat leaf
parsley, plus extra to garnish
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
2 Tbs sun-dried tomato paste
4 Tbs olive oil
salt
To serve
ice cubes
hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
a little cucumber, pepper and onion, finely chopped
Preparation:
- Mix together the vegetables, garlic, chilli and coriander or parsley in a large bowl.
- Add the vinegar, tomato paste, oil and a little salt.
- Process in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, scraping the mixture down from the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Collect the blended mixtures together in a clean bowl and check the seasoning, adding a little more saltif needed.
- Chill for up 24 hours before serving.
- Ladle the gazpacho into 6 large bowls, scatter with ice cubes and garnish with chopped parsley or coriander and a little chopped hard-boiled egg, cucumber, pepper and onion.
- Serve with crackers, if liked (remembering to count the extra calories).
- For chilled couscous gazpacho, prepare the soup as above, omitting the red peppers, and chill.
- Place 45 g (1¾ oz) couscous in a bowl and pour in just enough boiling water to come 1 cm (½ in) above the level of the couscous.
- Cover with clingfilm and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Uncover, break the couscous up with a fork and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Stir into the soup just before serving with the chopped herbs and a little harissa on the side.
- Omit the ice and garnishes.