Yes, I know I just posted a gazpacho a little over a week ago, but this one had to be shared ASAP – I didn’t want you to miss out on those marvelous, in season, local strawberries!
Or, if you want to, you can blame my seemingly duplicate post on all that Nyquil I’ve been taking for a week since I caught a doozy of a cold that has now turned into a sinus infection. Lucky me. Wait. Actually! That’s another reason to love this gazpacho! It is chock-full of that good ole immune system enhancer, vitamin C. Go C!
Okay, so you already know I love gazpacho. I make a version of it a much as possible during summer months when the produce it is at its peak. It is one of our summer staples for its ease to make (without the stove) and fresh, healthy flavors. And, this Strawberry-Tomato Gazpacho, while a new recipe for us, has jumped to the top of our list of favorite gazpachoes. Why? Strawberries. It’s all about the strawberries and how they come together with the tomatoes and cucumbers to give us a welcome (on this 97 degree F day in southern Wisconsin), delightful and chilled summer soup.
Before I get into the specifics of the Strawberry-Tomato Gazpacho, I want to show some heartfelt love for the cookbook that gave us this recipe, Harvest to Heat, by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer. I bought this cookbook several months ago and have literally fallen in love with it. It highlights farm to table recipes by chefs from the country’s best restaurants and the farmers and artisans that grow and make the ingredients for them. The gorgeous pages are full of amazing, fresh recipes, yes, but also stories from every cook, chef, artisan and farmer that contributed to the recipe. The authors visited each one of them and put together a cookbook that feels like a love story for the best, freshest ingredients. I love that. There’s a sneak peek of the book at Amazon’s listing for Harvest to Heat where you can see a sampling of recipes, and view the list of all the recipes in the table of contents. If fresh food is what you love, you’ll find so many good ideas in this cookbook. (I can’t wait to try the Crème Fraîche Galette with Heirloom Tomatoes this week too!) There are just a handful of recipes that had ingredients I didn’t recognize or couldn’t find. Most of the time they give you a substitute ingredient right in the recipe. Once or twice they don’t, but I just look at that as a chance to google it and learn something new. 
My gigantic hulled strawberry.
This particular recipe has the simplest ingredients: strawberries, tomatoes, a red bell pepper, cucumbers, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Kosher salt and a day-old slice of bread (for the croutons). It will take a little time to hull the strawberries and chop everything, but once that’s done…
…it all goes into the food processor to be puréed until it’s nice and smooth. Then, to get rid of the strawberry seeds, the mixture gets strained through a mesh sieve into a large bowl. Except the croutons! (The process for making the croutons is with the recipe below) At this point I seasoned my gazpacho with a little bit of Kosher salt and let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so.
That. Is. It! Just ladle your beautiful creation into a bowl and garnish with the croutons, diced cucumbers and diced strawberries. This simple process to a fantastic gazpacho like this one was much appreciated on a hot day like this (and on a day where I didn’t feel so hot myself).
Enjoy!
NOTES: Because I knew it was going to be blazing hot today, I made the croutons last night (rather than heat up the stove (and my kitchen) today). This recipe serves 4, or one sick girl for a day. Cost: $7.08 or $1.77/serving (I already had the vinegar, oil, bread and salt and just had to buy the produce).
Strawberry-Tomato Gazpacho Recipe
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten in the cookbook, Harvest to Heat by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pints fresh strawberries
- 1/2 pound red cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided: 2 tablespoons, 1 tablespoon
- Kosher Salt
- 1 slice day old bread, cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 1 small cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch dice, for garnish
Directions:
Hull the strawberries. Set aside a half pint of strawberries and cut the remaining 2 pints in half. Put the halved strawberries in a food processor and purée until smooth.
Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, chopped cucumbers, balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the the food processor with the puréed strawberries. Purée until smooth then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Season with Kosher salt and set aside.
To make the croutons:
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the 1/4 inch bread cubes and toss them in the oil for 3-5 minutes or until they’re lightly browned. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to cool completely.
For Garnish & Serving:
Cut the remaining 1/2 pint of strawberries into a 1/4 inch dice. Ladle the gazpacho into serving bowls and garnish each with a spoonful of the diced strawberries, diced cucumbers and a few croutons.
Hi Sarah,
I just came across your inspiring, and oh so pretty, website after a google search for Strawberry Gazpacho lead me here….and I’m glad this was my first hit! I am about to go to our local CoOp to get the fresh ingredients, but I’d like to know how many people your recupe serves, just an estimate.
That would be very helpful!
Thank you, thank you!
All my bests!
Hi Shannon! Oh I hope I caught you before you left for your co-op….this recipe comfortably serves 4. I’m sorry I didn’t include it in the post. I’m so glad you’re going to try it, it’s fantastic!!! Let me know how you like it.
Thank you so much for the visit!!! Happy Saturday!!!
Oh you caught me….just about to head out the door, the phone rang, so of course, I checked my email (creature of habit), and you so speedily replied. Thank you so much! Off to the CoOp and the berry farm to pick up fresh form the bush berries
I will let you know how my guests and I like it! Be well!
You too Shannon! Have fun!!
This soup was truly amazing! So delicious and chock full of nutrients, especially using the bountiful farm fresh berries which are at peak perfection right now. For an ‘all American’ red, white, and blue variation (I love holiday themed dinner parties) I’m going to add blueberries and a few crumbles of mild feta (maybe cut into a star shape)!
Thank you for this refreshing variation on a summer staple soup!
I’m so happy you liked it Shannon! I love the idea of adding the blueberries and feta, that sounds perfect to me. Thanks for stopping back and letting me know how you liked it! I so appreciate it! Have a very happy Thursday dear!
Well.. I was certain I’d read.. no, I know I’ve read this post but I don’t see my comment above. Possibly my memory is sadly deficient, I changed computer pages before it had time to upload.. or I’ve been nipping into the Nyquil myself! Sarah.. I’m so sad to hear you’re not feeling well, perhaps you’ve been baking and cooking too much? Or not enough? That book looks like a good one and how fun to read about where the food comes from. I think a person could do the same locally in their own community. You and I should do that for our hometowns?? Ok, better get over that infection first, I guess. I love this gazpacho.. as I loved your other gazpacho and can’t wait to make it.. xoxo Smidge
Hi Smidge! Honestly I thought you had left a note here before too. Maybe we should both eliminate the NyQuil for good, lol. I hope you didn’t have to take much of it, that stuff is evil!
Definitely not enough baking or cooking. I made up for that this weekend though
I agree, we should do that for our hometowns. I love reading about the chefs and the farmers in this book, it’s so interesting to me.
I hope you’re having a healthy, happy weekend dear! Hugs!
Just connected to your site via ChgoJohn’s.
What fantastic recipe for the summer months and something I’m sure my wife and I would thoroughly enjoy!
Cheers,
Jed
http://sports-glutton.com
Sports, Food, Libations, & More
Hi Jed! Don’t you just love ChgoJohn’s blog? It’s the best! Thanks so much for visiting, I really appreciate it, and look forward to visiting yours too…looks like it’s right up my alley
Yes, this recipe is a keeper. It’s just perfect for these hot summer days. Have a great weekend Jed!
I love that cookbook, although coincidentally the only recipe I’ve made so far is the Tomato Galette. I’m hoping to try out some others this summer.
Hope you are feeling better!
YAY!! I was going to try to make that today…but
Still not a lot of energy after this bug, we’ll see.
Thanks for the visit dear!!!!! xoxoxo
Oh Sarah this looks delightful and the colour puts a smile on my face! I am printing out right now and if all goes well and I get a chance to pick strawberries next weekend, I am soooo making this! BTW, you can make gazpacho any day of the week if you like:) It’s a great education for me, as it’s not a dish I would ever think to make. But now that it’s in my cooking vocabulary, and it’s pushing 40C here in Toronto, it might be the only thing I enjoy eating. Thanks for another great post.
Oh you must try a gazpacho Melanie. They are perfect for this heat, I promise! With all the different recipes out there, I’m sure you can find many to love. I hope you get to try it this year. I’m addicted, as you can probably tell
Thanks for the visit dear!! xoxo
So sorry to hear that you’re not well, Sarah. There’s nothing fun about a sinus infection, especially this time of the year. The heat alone will make one miserable. You don’t need a head start by catching a sinus infection!
Feel better!
This gazpacho sounds perfect for this time of year! Looks like I’ll be buying more strawberries this weekend. I bought 3 quarts of strawberries last Saturday and canned strawberry jam made with balsamic and black pepper. Sound familiar? It’s your fault, you know. You “discovered” this jam. Now you’ve “discovered” another gazpacho. Any more discoveries and we may need to alert the strawberry farmers.
Thanks buddy
Finally saw the doctor yesterday, he gave me some meds, but they can’t work fast enough, you know? Ugh.
Isn’t the jam fantastic?!? I need to make some more, if I can find some strawberries. Their sold out at all the little farmer stands right now. Not good. Because I can’t get enough of them. No worries, John, I think I’ve run out of strawberry recipes for now, but you never know!
Quick Comment (I’m scrambling for the interview/presentation that’s TOMORROW! I somehow have to knit something yet tonight, because I’m determined to wow them. I’m going to have examples of food related fundraiser items – and just got done fake canning some things and decorating the jars.) Oh goodness…I feel so silly just typing that.
What a pretty gazpacho! I like that you did the cost
I spent hours pricing groceries today for this presentation. (And I’m way under budget!)
Food costs are such a fun thing to take note of, I think.
Feel better soon! (I’m hating the heat with you.)
It’s not silly! It’s fantastic!! Ohhhhh you are so gonna impress them tomorrow. I love your preparations and ideas. AND, I am so glad you stopped by and let me know what was going on. I’m so excited! I was wondering when the presentation was going to take place…Great job on the budget!
Whaaaat? You’re going to knit something yet tonight??? Go girl!
Oh I hope there will be pictures of everything!
Yes, thank you for that cost/budget idea. I agree, it’s fun to keep track of. Especially when you’re eating better than ever on a lot less money
Hugs for tomorrow!!!!
I never – NEVER – thought you could mix these ingredients together and make gazpacho. But here it is and it looks really tasty. Thanks for posting.
Hi Ruth! It’s very tasty! Easy too
If I hadn’t seen this recipe, I never would have thought about combining flavors either. Now I’m hooked
Thanks for the visit! Have a great Tuesday!
Wow – so refreshing – and what great great flavor combinations! This should totally capture the flavors of summer – and such a beautiful presentation. Here’s to a summer full of endless gazpacho combinations!
Yes!! I’m SO in!! I love these things
I hope you’re Monday was great Bill. Thank you for the visit!
Wow! You’re photos and narrative for this recipe are simply marvelous!! I’m happy that you’re feeling well enough to do what you love! I hope the vitamin C and the lovely flavors of this creation boot that sinus infection on its way out of your system!
Have a pleasant Tuesday, (in the A/C)!!
Definitely in the A/C….crazy weather. Frozen tundra? I think not!
Thank you Shaddy, I appreciate the kind words! It took some effort, and the rest of my energy for the day, but I’m good with that. You know how I am when I get sick…big baby
I just want to feel better. Soon!
Stay cool sista! xoxo
Sarah… If this doesn’t help you feel better I don’t know what would! This is uch a pretty gazpacho.. I have everything except the peppers and the cucumber (I was at the market yesterday). It’s been so rainy I think this recipe would just cheer me up! Xo Smidge
See? That’s what I was thinking too – it’s gonna be good for this bug.
I hope you make it Smidge, because I think you’d love it. Oh yes, it would definitely cheer up a rainy day. Let me know what you think of it when you make it, okay? Enjoy!
Thanks for the visit dear!! xoxo
Oh boy, I wish it were summer here – this is the prettiest soup and I love all the flavours that go into it. Maybe you could enjoy just one little spoonful for me.
Mandy
I would be more than happy to enjoy a whole bowl for you my dear! It’s that good…
Have a terrific week Mandy!