Gazpacho w/ Crab and Shrimp

Gazpacho is a tomato based Spanish soup prepared with raw fruits and vegetables and is served chilled. It's super lite and refreshing. This soup is a wonderful summer meal from the garden.



Traditionally, gazpacho is made with chunks of bread blended in it. This adds texture to the soup and makes it more hearty. I didn't add bread to this recipe because I wanted a lighter, smoother soup. Instead, I served this gazpacho with silver dollar sized Jalapeño Corn Cakes. This allowed the diners to dip, top, or crumble the bread into their soups individually. I like interactive food, it adds a lot of fun to the dinner table!

Gazpacho

7 Tomatoes
3 Cucumbers - peeled
1 Jalapeño - seeds removed
1 small Onion - grated
1/4 large Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Garlic Clove - minced or pressed
Juice from 1 Lemon
Hot Sauce
Salt
White Pepper

Set two bowls out in your work station, one large and one smaller. Dice all of the fruits and veggies. Place about 1/3 of each in the small bowl and the rest in the large bowl.




Once the veggies are chopped, blend everything that's in the large bowl together until it's smooth. Use a blender of food processor and work in small batches to insure a consistent texture. Once blended, place the soup in a large serving or storing bowl.




Stir your diced fruits and vegetables, from the small bowl, into the blended soup.

Season the gazpacho with lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste as you're seasoning and adjust as needed.

Now, your soup is done. You just need to chill, garnish, and serve.

At this point, the gazpacho is gluten free and vegetarian. To keep it this way, serve in a chilled glass topped with petite diced veggies and garnish with a lemon wedge and/or cucumber slice.

To make your gazpacho a little more fancy (and fun), top it with seafood!

This seafood topping was inspired by The Sample Room's Gazpacho that we ate last summer.



Shrimp

Vegetable Stock or Water
2-4 Garlic Cloves - smashed
2-6 Fresh Bay Leaves
1-3 Shrimp per person - peeled and deveined

Put vegetable stock, garlic, and bay leaves in a pot over low heat. Cover and let simmer for a few minutes.



Place shrimp in stock and cook just until they turn pink.




Remove the shrimp, cover and chill until you're ready to serve the gazpacho.

Crab

1 can Lump Crab Meat - drained (or fresh crab, if available)
Lemon Juice
Salt
White Pepper

In a small bowl, gently mix the crab meat with a small amount of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Once you are ready to serve the gazpacho, ladle it into chilled glasses or bowls. Top with a small spoonful of crab and finish with the chilled shrimp. Garnish with lemon and/or cucumber and a splash of hot sauce. Serve with Jalapeño Corn Cakes, white bread, or tortilla chips.