gazpacho

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g beefsteak tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 600 ml water
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp vinegar (white wine vinegar)
• ½ tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper from the mill, white or mixed
• 1 cucumber(s)
• 1 small onion(s)
• 1 bell pepper(s), green
• ½ tsp celery salt, if desired
• possibly Tabasco or Ajvar
• Croutons for garnishing or
• some white bread
• some olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 20 minutes

refreshing, spicy starter

Blanch the tomatoes, peel, and deseed them. Purée the tomato flesh with approximately 600 ml of water in a blender along with the peeled garlic cloves, tomato paste, vinegar, oil, salt, celery salt, and pepper. Peel the cucumber, roughly chop half of it, and blend for another 30 seconds until creamy. Ladle the soup into a tureen. Season with Tabasco or ajvar, salt, and pepper, and refrigerate. Meanwhile, dice the other half of the cucumber, finely dice the onion and bell pepper, and divide between 4 soup bowls. Pour the chilled gazpacho over the soup. Garnish with croutons. You can also add the diced vegetables to the soup and let them marinate. For the croutons, finely dice a few slices of white bread and fry them in butter or olive oil until crispy.