Late season tomato gazpacho

Chef Michael Hun
Palm Springs Surf Club, Palm Springs

Chef Michael Hung says making this refreshing soup is not much more difficult than selecting the best ingredients (easy in California at this time of year!) and blending them together.

Ingredients

Gazpacho
3 vine-ripened tomatoes
1 English cucumber
2 red bell peppers
3 medium shallots
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 tbsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. crème fraîche, or more to taste

Smoked paprika oil
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Garlic croutons
4 slices rustic bread
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

For gazpacho: Roughly slice tomatoes. Peel cucumber and roughly slice. Split bell peppers and remove stems and seeds. Roughly slice bell pepper. Slice shallots and garlic. Combine all in a mixing bowl.

Add tomato paste, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well and allow to marinate for 45 minutes.

In a blender, blend vegetable mix until a slightly granular puree, adding olive oil gradually to emulsify. Chill gazpacho in refrigerator for several hours before serving.

For smoked paprika oil: Combine paprika, tomato paste and olive oil in a small saucepot and whisk well to incorporate. Heat over medium heat until bubbles start to form. Remove from heat and cool.

For garlic croutons: Rub cut garlic on faces of bread slices. Drizzle olive oil on bread and bake on a sheet pan in a 350-degree oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

To assemble: Ladle gazpacho into chilled bowls, drizzle smoked paprika oil over the top, add a dollop of crème fraîche and rest the garlic crouton on the side of the bowl (or, cut croutons into cubes before baking).

Serves 4 to 6