You can make this soup two days ahead to have on hand as a light mid-week supper, or for last-minute entertaining. You’ll need to begin it a day ahead.
Chilled melon gazpacho with young basil leaves, speck and croûtons
Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chilled melon gazpacho with young basil leaves, speck and croûtons.
- 30 mins preparation
- 10 mins cooking plus soaking, chilling
- Serves 6
Print
Ingredients
- 800 gm ripe vine-ripened tomatoes (about 7), coarsely chopped
- 650 gm watermelon, coarsely chopped
- 1 telegraph cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
- 1 small Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
- 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve (1/3 cup)
- 1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar
- ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
- 350 gm crustless sourdough bread, cut into croûton-sized pieces
- 100 ml clarified butter
- 170 gm piece of speck, diced
- To serve: small basil leaves
Method
Main
- 1Combine tomato, watermelon, cucumber, onion, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic and 100gm sourdough in a bowl and refrigerate until bread is soft (1 hour). Transfer, in batches, to a blender and blend until very smooth. Strain through a coarse sieve into a plastic container, season to taste and refrigerate for flavours to develop (overnight).
- 2Heat clarified butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add remaining sourdough and stir occasionally until golden and crisp (3-5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on absorbent paper to drain.
- 3Add speck to pan and stir occasionally until crisp and golden (3-5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on absorbent paper to drain.
- 4Divide chilled soup among chilled serving bowls, scatter with croûtons, speck and basil leaves, add a few drops of extra oil and serve.
Notes
This recipe is from the February 2013 issue of .