Chilled Tomato Gazpacho Soup with Fresh Peaches

Enjoy this soup during the peak of peach season when they are juicy and ripe. The natural acidity of tomatoes pairs well with sweet peaches. This soup is topped with croutons, as is traditional for gazpacho in Spain. The crisp croutons add texture and soak up the flavors of the soup.

Yield: 6 servings or 9 cups

Total time: 50 minutes (prep and chilling)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Ingredients

• Roma tomatoes, fresh | 12, quartered

• Shallots, small | 2, diced

• Garlic | 6 teaspoons, minced

• English cucumber | 1, peeled and diced into large pieces

• Jalapeño | ½, seeds removed, diced

• Green bell pepper | 1, seeds removed and cut into large pieces

• Peaches | 2, seeds removed, diced

• Olive oil | ½ cup

• Sherry or balsamic vinegar | ¼ cup

• Salt | ½ teaspoon

• Black pepper | 12 turns fresh cracked or ¼ teaspoon ground

• Toppings:

• Sourdough baguette | 2 slices, toasted with garlic 

• Basil, fresh | 12 leaves, torn or chopped

Directions

In a blender, add tomatoes, shallots, and garlic, and blend on low speed for about 1 minute. Next, add cucumber, jalapeño, bell pepper, and peaches; blend for 1 minute. Add oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper; blend until a smooth, silky consistency is reached. Chill for at least 30 minutes and serve in chilled soup bowls.

Toast bread. While bread is still warm, rub each slice with the garlic clove until the bread is evenly coated; cut in half and top your soup with basil and croutons (gluten-free, if desired).

Chef’s commentary

The basil adds a sweet aroma and a subtle, peppery flavor with a hint of mint. You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free bread for the croutons. This is a recipe where the croutons really stand out so buy the best loaf of bread you can find, preferably from a local bakery.