When I think back to the summers of my childhood, all I can remember is how hot they were.
I'm sure that seems odd to those of you who haven't ever experienced a Canadian summer, considering we're better known for our icy cold winters, but Toronto is most definitely a four-season sort of city.
Winters are cold and often snowy, with a brisk wind that blows in from the lake, while summers are usually hot and humid, with the occasional heatwave that envelops the city in a stifling, muggy blanket of heat. Spring is rainy, and fall is crisp. It's lovely to watch the seasons progress from one to the next... I just can't imagine living any other way.
I grew up in a big three-story Victorian house on Logan Ave with no air conditioning that felt more like a house-sized brick oven under the hot summer sun. Most of the rooms were equipped with ceiling fans, thankfully, but on particularly hot days they provided limited relief at best.
I particularly remember the nights, when I'd lie in bed in my attic bedroom listening to the ever-present thub-thub-thub of the ceiling fan, sticky hot with arms and legs sprawled akimbo hoping a cool evening breeze might drift in through the open windows.
I also remember the days, where my sister and I would run shrieking through the icy cold sprinkler on our sunburned lawn or skip down to the corner store with a pocket full of change to buy jumbo-sized freezies in neon blue and pink.
Some days we'd spend hours swimming in the bracingly cold water of the big outdoor pool down the street, turning somersaults underwater and doggy paddling until our fingers and toes were as wrinkled as prunes. We'd head home with dripping wet hair and growling bellies, anxious for dinner.
My mother's gazpacho (or "gaspacho", since my mother spells it the Portuguese way) made regular appearances at dinnertime back then, since we couldn't bear to heat up the kitchen by turning on the stove. It was served up with a full array of crunchy, fresh garnishes on the glossy white wrought iron table that sat on our shady front porch, away from the stifling heat of the indoors.
I hadn't really glommed onto the concept of eating seasonally back then, but gazpacho and summertime were intertwined in my mind, just like watermelon, popsicles and giant pitchers of pink lemonade. It simply wasn't summer without gazpacho.
And no wonder... it tastes like a vegetable garden in mid-August, with its bright acidic tomato flavour and a pungent garlicky bite, rounded out with a generous amount of perfectly fresh diced cucumbers and peppers and onion for texture and flavour.
I still make gazpacho using my mother's recipe, an uncomplicated blend of fresh vegetables flavoured with a drizzle of sherry vinegar for brightness, a hefty pour of peppery olive oil for richness, a dab of tomato paste for depth, and a handful of fresh bread cubes to bind everything into a thick puree.
I don't add any extra liquid like broth or water or V8 juice, mostly because thin gazpacho tastes too much like V8 juice to me - but feel free to dilute with your liquid of choice if you're more of a soupy gazpacho type.
It also contains unabashed amounts of garlic, which means it's probably best not to eat it before a hot date or an important job interview. It does, however, make a most excellent first course for a romantic picnic... they do say that garlic is an aphrodisiac, after all.
Whatever you do, don't hesitate. Gazpacho is meant to be made with the freshest, ripest, juiciest field-grown tomatoes available, which means the time to make it is now.
With the evenings growing cooler and the sun setting ever earlier, there's really no better time than now to whip up a big batch of gazpacho, and to enjoy it in a shady spot outdoors while the summer slowly turns into fall.
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Classic Gazpacho
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This recipe was originally my mother's, though I've adjusted it to make a much thicker soup, since that's my preference. If you prefer your gazpacho to be on the thinner side, simply blend in enough water to get the texture you desire (my mother's recipe originally called for 3 cups).
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 cup cubed Italian-style bread, crusts removed
- ½ English cucumber, roughly chopped
- ½ sweet red pepper, roughly chopped
- ½ red onion, roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry or white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Dash Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian version)
- Salt and pepper
Garnishes
- Diced tomatoes
- Diced cucumbers
- Diced red and green peppers
- Diced red onion
- Toasted croutons
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients (excluding garnishes) in a blender and process until you have a slightly thick, smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Pour into a non-reactive container, and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight, if possible, to chill thoroughly and give the flavours plenty of time to mellow and blend.
- To serve, ladle the gazpacho into wide, shallow bowls and serve with the garnishes alongside in small bowls, so that everyone can garnish their soup as they like.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Soups
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Spanish
bhavani@ameanderingmango says
Oh I miss Toronto summers! Spring is just starting here in Sydney so soon we will have much more sun and warmth. Will keep this recipe on hand for a summer day. Thanks!
Celia says
Yummm. This looks like a truly classic gazpacho - the kind that's reminiscent of Romesco sauce, only fresher and thinner...I'm roasting over here in Asia, but you've still managed to make me sad summer is ending...and that I don't have some gazpacho to cool down...
Magic of Spice says
What a beautiful and refreshing recipe! Looks completely delicious :)
★★★★★
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
This looks so fresh and inviting. :)
Jackie says
Oooh, Isabelle! As the girl who grew up spending all of her summers in Spain, this totally hits the spot. Sadly we don't have such hot summers over in London that I would not want to warm myself by the stove, but the Spanish wannabe mamacita inside me applauds you (and your mama) for this beautiful gazpacho.
I so need to visit Toronto...
Jax x
kita says
I have never had gazpacho. The idea of a cold soup was completely alien to me until I got into food blogging. The idea of a cold soup is still something that boggles my mind, but I love a tomato base sauce and if I love that, why wouldn't I love this? I have got to try this ASAP before the summer produce is gone for good.
Ally says
Gazpacho is my FAVORITE - your recipe looks perfect. Divine. Amazing!
xo
Mercedes says
This looks so delicious! I love celebrating the end of summers with the great produce that is available this time of year! Thanks for sharing!
Peggy says
I actually love the idea of a thicker gazpacho. With all of the tomatoes rolling in from our CSA, I think I might have to try this next week =)
briarrose says
I like the thicker texture. We are garlic lovers here so this soup would so hit the spot. Great recipe.
Kitchen Vignettes says
mmm, i was just noticing the tomatoes are coming along in our garden today and wondering what i would make with them. for some reason i never think of gazpacho. this recipe looks so deliciously thick and rich, just need a few more of those really hot Toronto days you're talking about for the rest of our tomatoes to ripen and then i'll have enough to make this!
Isabelle says
I hear you on the green tomatoes, Aube! Most of the tomato plants in my backyard have been heavy with fruit for several weeks now, but it's all stubbornly green aside from a few ambitious cherry tomatoes that ripened earlier this month. I'm crossing my fingers for some a spell of nice, hot weather between now and Labour Day... it's either that, or I'll end up with a big pot of green tomato jam. :P
Kelly says
I LOVE gazpacho, this looks amazing! Such great flavors! :)
Russell van Kraayenburg says
I'm just going to say it. I don't like gazpacho. Something about cold soup has just alway sent shivers down my spine... but I know as a foodie I have a responsibility to keep trying things until I like them. Will this recipe help convert me? The ingredients all sound scrumptious. It's step two that is scaring me ; )
You've painted such a vivid picture of your childhood summers too. As hot as they may have been they sound almost perfect.
Isabelle says
Would help to think of it as liquid salad instead of cold soup? Because that's kind of what it is... a summery tomato salad, complete with dressing, in drinkable format. :)
(And IMO, even the best of foodies has a few things they don't like... it's a sign of discriminating taste. Me, I won't touch a raw oyster with a ten foot pole. They feel and taste like cold snot to me. Ick.)
Russell van Kraayenburg says
Haha. I love that, a salad in drinkable format. I don't think I've given gazpacho a fair chance so I'll at least try it once more before I give it up completely!
And thank you. I do believe you've just turned me off of raw oysters too with that lovely analogy.
Isabelle says
Heh. My work here is done. *struts*
Anne@frommysweetheart says
Oh my gosh, Isabelle! I can't believe I let the whole summer pass without making a batch of gazpacho! I, like you, just equate this beautiful chilly soup with summertime. And I don't like it very watered down either. Your soup looks so refreshing....I simply have to give it a try before the really good summer produce is gone for another year! Great pictures! : )
Isabelle says
Thanks, Anne! Still a few weeks left of summer... hope you manage to squeeze in a batch of gazpacho while the getting's good!
Kelsey @ K&K Test Kitchen says
Lovely post! I had my first gazpacho at a gorgeous afternoon tea themed wedding in Picton, Ontario this summer. Now I have a reason to try to make it on my own. Thanks for sharing your memories and the recipe!
Eliot says
Honey, you don't know hot! It was 111 here yesterday! :) Love your pics, your writing and this recipe.
★★★★★
Isabelle says
Ick. I think I'd melt in that kind of weather. :P Mind you, we did have a week of 100F temperatures last month, and it actually felt closer to 110F when you factored in humidity.
Needless to say, I hid inside most of that week, with the air conditioner on blast and a plentiful supply of ice-cold drinks. :)
Viviane Bauquet Farre says
Isabelle, this recipe is great. Your photographs are lovely and I quite enjoyed your Proustian monologue! Cheers, Viv.
Isabelle says
Thanks, Viv! I guess I did get rather Proustian, didn't I? Somehow, gazpacho just doesn't seem quite as elegant as madeleines, though. :)
Yuri says
Love gazpacho! Thanks for sharing your mom's recipe :)
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
What a pretty dish! And, in my opinion, you can never add too much garlic! :)
Pretend Chef says
I have never tried gazpacho before. I guess it's because it looks like salsa to me and I never understood eating salsa by the spoonful. However, I really would love to give this a try and see what I've been missing out on. It really looks delicious.
Isabelle says
It's not so much salsa as it is tomato salad, but I can see where it might seem like an odd combination. Hope you decide to try it out... some foods really are more than the sum of their parts.
bellini says
I experienced a blast from the past when I was in Toronto this summer and the humidity hit me like a ton of bricks. Wish I had have been lounging by the pool but the beaches of Southhampton were enough to remind me of summer childhood days in Ontario. I love this gaspacho recipe made the traditional way with the bread to cool things down.
Isabelle says
Poor Val, coming to Toronto on the hottest day we've had in years... if not my entire lifetime. You were such a trooper about it, though! I agree, lounging by the beach would've definitely been far more pleasant. :)
Danielle says
Yum, I love gazpacho. Perfect summer dish.