By Susan Jenkins
In the balmy days of a lingering summer, few dishes match gazpacho for flavorful and hydrating nourishment. This peachy version of the familiar Spanish cold soup enhances the spicy and tomato-y allure of traditional gazpacho with a uniquely sweet and fruity essence. It’s particularly refreshing on a warm evening. Perhaps best of all, it takes only around 15 minutes to put together.
Tasting it always sends me back to Barcelona, the capital of northeastern Spain’s semi-autonomous region of Catalonia. Although gazpacho originated in Andalusia, in the south of Spain, it’s available on seemingly every menu throughout the Mediterranean city famed for its architecture, culture and cuisine.
Now is the season for peaches and sun-gold grape tomatoes, principal components of Peachy Gazpacho. Adding cucumber, lime and champagne vinegar rounds out the flavors. Just throw the raw ingredients into the blender. Strain and chill the mixture, then serve garnished with a few fresh toppings. Eating this just feels good—summery, healthy and satisfying.
Peachy Gazpacho
Ingredients
2 pints sun-gold grape tomatoes
1 pint red cherry tomatoes
1 cup cubed, ripe, peeled peaches
1 cup sliced, peeled English cucumber
1/2 cup roughly chopped orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
Cayenne pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cold, fresh water
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender until they’re smooth.
- Strain the liquid (use a fine-mesh strainer).
- Chill the soup for at least two hours.
- Garnish the finished dish with crumbled feta cheese, additional diced fresh peaches, thinly sliced fresh basil and a shake of cayenne pepper.
