National Gazpacho Day - An Awesome Grilled Gazpacho Recipe

Grilled Gazpacho Recipe!

In celebration of National Gazpacho Day (December 6th), the GrillJunkie team hones our vegetable grilling skills by creating this delicious gazpacho soup and laying vegetables directly on hot grates. This cooking method imparts a hauntingly smoky flavor to this vibrant and earthy soup.

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A Bit of Gazpacho’s History

Gazpacho is a tomato-based, luscious yet refreshing vegetable soup, traditionally served cold. This richly layered and refreshing soup originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine where it is known as gaspacho. Gazpacho has ancient roots. There are a number of theories of its origin, including as an Arabic soup of bread, garlic, water and olive oil that arrived in Spain and Portugal with the Moors, or possibly via the Romans with the addition of vinegar.

Once it hit the streets of Spain it quickly spilled into Andalucían cuisine. Gazpacho is amazingly delicious, unique and certainly deserves its well-earned National Holiday.  Although Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities and cold serving temperature, the GrillJunkie team has always been stumped by the reason behind its National Food Holiday being celebrated in December.

Stumped, but oh so excited that we have an excuse to grill some vegetables, roast some garlic and share this great treat with you.

Grilled Gazpacho Recipe Ingredients:

1. 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled – (See our Grilled Garlic Recipe to grill a whole bulb at once)
2. 3 large tomatoes, (1 Plum type, 2 Heirloom – 1 1/2 pounds total)
3. 1 medium English cucumber, sliced
4. 1 yellow bell pepper
5. 1 red bell pepper
6. 1 medium sweet Vidalia onion, peeled
7. 1/2 jalapeño pepper
8. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
9. 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
10. 1 Tbsp chopped basil, plus more for garnish
11. 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12. 1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
13. Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

• Place the garlic cloves on a 5″ x 5″ piece of aluminum foil. Coat generously with olive oil. Wrap the garlic cloves in the sheet of foil. (To grill an entire garlic bulb, see our Grilled Garlic Recipe).
  

  Grilled garlic roasted with earthy and healthy olive oil.

• Cut the cucumber into quarters and set aside.

• Cut the the plum and heirloom tomatoes into quarters. Place the tomatoes in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow some of the water to be drawn out of the tomatoes. (This process intensifies the flavor when grilling the tomatoes and the juice may be used to thin out the gazpacho soup to your liking).

• Transfer the water drained from the tomatoes to a sealed container, cover and refrigerate.

• Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill. Brush and oil the grill grate or a vegetable-grilling basket.

• Brush the tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño and onion with olive oil, and lightly season with salt and pepper.

• Arrange the tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño and onion directly on the grill grate or in the basket directly over medium-high heat. Grill, turning frequently, until soft and nicely charred on all sides; 10 minutes total for the tomatoes, bell peppers and jalapeño…and 15 minutes for the onion and garlic. By the way, your jalepeño is now half way to becoming a chipotle. Man you are an expert griller!

• Transfer the grilled vegetables to a platter and let cool slightly. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, pick over the vegetables, removing most of the burned skin but leaving some charred bits. Chop all the grilled vegetables coarsely.

• Transfer all of the grilled vegetables, including the fresh cucumber and peeled garlic, to a food processor and puree. With the machine on, gradually add the 1/4 cup of olive oil, then blend in the vinegar. Add the herbs, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the tomato water to adjust for desired thickness and texture and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until chilled. Ladle the gazpacho into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with herbs and serve.

• Enjoy, smile and cherish your time with Family& Friends!

Grilled Gazpacho Recipe: Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day to enhance the flavor. Stir to recombine and garnish just before serving.

• Ingredient Note: For a real treat, replace the jalapeño with 1 Tbsp of Piment d’Espelette – a sweet, mildly spicy pepper, from the French side of the Basque region, ground into powder. Hot paprika will get you somewhat close to the taste as an alternative.

What are your thoughts on this recipe? What Fires YOU Up?

We welcome your comments, healthy debate, and the inevitable disagreement. Leave a reply or comment. It’s OK. Bring it on!