Kettle River Gazpacho

Kettle River gazpacho takes the classic Spanish chilled tomato soup and gives it a North American camp-style spin. Instead of pureeing everything smooth, the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, and onion stay diced so each spoonful has texture and crunch.

The chili sauce is what makes this version different from a Madrid gazpacho. It brings sweet-tart heat that plays off the cucumber and lemon juice. Use the bottled American-style chili sauce, not Asian chili paste, or you’ll blow the balance.

Peeling and seeding the tomatoes is worth the ten extra minutes. Skins float in the bowl and seeds turn the soup bitter as it sits. Score an X in the bottom of each tomato, drop into boiling water for 30 seconds, then ice bath. Skins slip right off.

Unlike most gazpachos this one can be served chilled, at room temperature, or gently warmed. Hot crusty bread alongside makes it a meal.

Kitchen Tips

• Salt the cucumber and let it drain in a colander for ten minutes. Drier cucumber means a more concentrated soup.
• Mince the garlic fine. Raw chunks of garlic in a cold soup are aggressive after an hour in the fridge.
• Make it a day ahead. The flavors meld and the heat from the chili sauce settles into something rounder.
• Use ripe summer tomatoes only. Out-of-season tomatoes give a flat, watery soup.

Variations

• Swap green bell pepper for roasted red pepper for a sweeter, smokier base.
• Add a peeled, diced avocado just before serving for richness.
• Stir in cooked shrimp or jumbo lump crab to turn it into a light summer entree.