Edinburgh Evening News 69 - Gazpacho, Roasted Hazelnuts, Basil Oil
Gazpacho is a soup made of raw vegetables and it is served cold. It most traditionally has a tomato base. It makes for a fresh and light start to any meal. It is an ideal starter if your main course is a rich dish. For me this soup ticks so many boxes. It is flavoursome and light, it can be fully prepared in advance, it is suitable for vegetarian guests and it is nutritious. It is also adaptable. There are so many ways to liven it up. I’ve added a few delicious extras to my recipe to elevate the gazpacho to a dish suitable for any dinner party. Any leftover basil oil can be kept and drizzled over salads. This soup can be made up to four days in advance and in fact the flavour develops so much more if it is left for a couple of days in the fridge.
Serves 6
Gazpacho Ingredients 12 tomatoes 1 red pepper ¼ of a cucumber 1/8 of a red onion 7g basil 7g coriander 125ml olive oil 20ml sherry vinegar Salt to taste
Method • Roughly chop the tomatoes, red pepper, red onion and cucumber • Place them in a large bowl • Crush everything together • Add the basil and coriander • Mix all of the ingredients together • Cover with clingfilm and leave in the fridge overnight • Blend the mixture • Pass it through a fine sieve • Add the olive oil and sherry vinegar • Blend the mixture till emulsified • Season to taste • Cover and chill in the fridge
Basil Oil Ingredients 1 bunch of basil leaves (stalks removed) 250ml rapeseed oil
Method • Blanch half of the basil leaves in salted boiling water for 30 seconds • Refresh in ice water until completely cold • Squeeze out all of the excess water • Into a blender add the blanched basil, the raw basil and rapeseed oil and blend until smooth • Pass through a fine sieve and reserve until required
Roasted Hazelnuts Ingredients A handful of hazelnuts
Method • Preheat the oven to 180C • Place the hazelnuts on a tray • Roast in the oven for approximately 15 minutes giving them a shake every 5 minutes • Rub off the skins • Reserve until required
To serve • Pour the gazpacho into bowls and top with a drizzle of the basil oil and the roasted hazelnuts
