Seasonal Soups: Sweet and Spicy Gazpacho

"Cold soup is a very tricky thing, and it is the rare hostess who can carry it off. More often than not the dinner guest is left with the impression that had he only come a little earlier, he could have gotten it while it was still hot." -Fran Lebowitz

Ah, soup! Who can resist the first cheesy bite of French onion soup? Or how about the hearty aroma of minestrone? Have mercy on the kid who suffered a sick day without a sip of chicken noodle!

'Tis oft overlooked-

That kaleidoscopic group

Of foods we call 'soup.'

Karl had a brilliant idea recently- let's celebrate soup in all of its glory! Here's our goal: one year...four seasons...and twelve seasonal soups. And it begins with this post!

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Sweet and Spicy Gazpacho

A gazpacho is a tomato-based soup, hailing from the southern region of Spain called Andalusia, containing raw vegetables and served cold. This particular gazpacho combines the sweet flavors of apple and cinnamon with the spicy kick of chili pepper and cayenne powder. The most difficult part of this recipe was waiting for the soup to cool before eating it! Or perhaps the realization that pureeing vegetables in a blender is considerably more difficult than in a food processor.

Ingredients:

• 5 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 medium red-skinned apples, quarted and seeded
• 1 chili
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, chopped
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 leek, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 sticks of celery, diced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• cinnamon, to taste
• cayenne pepper, as desired

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg F.
2. Place the tomatoes, apple, and chili onto a baking tray, lightly drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with fennel seeds and brown sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are beginning to brown and the apples soft. Remove from oven and cool.
3. After they have cooled, pulse in a food processor (or blender) along with pan juices until smooth.
4. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large pot. Fry the leeks over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the carrots and continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes. (The carrots are going to retain their crunchiness.)
5. Add the celery, stock, and pureed tomato mixture. Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Continue to simmer for 25-30 minutes, adding cinnamon to bring to desired sweetness. I would also recommend adding ~2 tsp cayenne pepper here to bring out the spiciness, but make sure to bring it to your desired heat.
6. Soup can be eaten hot, but believe me- if you can wait long enough to serve it cold (as in make it a day early and refrigerate it overnight), it will be well worth it!

Special thanks to our guest chefs, Petra and Chelsea!