Chilled Garden Gazpacho Recipe

Prepare all vegetables: core and quarter the tomatoes, peel and seed the cucumber, remove seeds from the red pepper and roughly chop, and peel and chop the red onion.

Working in batches if necessary, place the tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper and red onion into a blender or food processor. Add the tomato juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.

Pulse to combine, then blend on high until very smooth (about 1–2 minutes). If your blender is small, strain the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl to remove skins and seeds for the silkiest texture. Use the back of a spoon to press solids through if needed.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. If the soup is too thick, stir in up to 120 ml cold water to reach a pourable, chilled-soup consistency.

Cover the bowl or transfer the gazpacho to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4–6 hours, until well chilled. Chilling allows flavors to meld.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add smoked paprika here if using.

Add the bread cubes to the bowl and toss thoroughly so each cube is lightly coated with the butter-oil mixture.

Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10–14 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and cool on the sheet—croutons will crisp further as they cool.

When ready to serve, give the chilled gazpacho a final stir. Taste and, if desired, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to brighten and adjust salt/pepper.

Spoon the gazpacho into chilled bowls or glasses (about 300 ml per serving).

Sour Cream Dollop

Place 1 tablespoon of sour cream in the center of each bowl of gazpacho. Using the back of a spoon, gently swirl to create a small decorative rosette or leave as a neat dollop. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of snipped chives over the sour cream and drizzle a few drops of olive oil around it.

Scatter 6–8 housebaked croutons on top of each serving so they stay partially crisp. Finish with a few thin basil ribbons and an extra tiny drizzle of olive oil if desired.

Serve immediately while croutons are still crisp. Leftover gazpacho keeps refrigerated up to 3 days; keep croutons separate and add just before serving.