This summer I continued to work on some raw soup recipes.  Raw soups with summer vegetables are much easier and logical than fall and winter crops.  And of course, with the heat outside, it’s nice and refreshing to eat cooler foods for lunch and dinner.  Out of all the summer soups, I would consider the gazpacho to be the most recognizable.   There are so many recipes out there for gazpacho.  I went searching for the simplest and I believe it’s the best I have ever had.

Classic Andalusian Gazpacho (taken from Epicurious.com)

• 1 (2-inch-long) piece baguette, crust discarded
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar (preferably “reserva”), or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
• 2 1/2 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1/2 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

1. Soak bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water
2. Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.
3. Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
4. Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Classic-Andalusian-Gazpacho-106874#ixzz26l44Weft

Bon Appétit!