Classic Chilled Gazpacho with Feta and Garlic Croutons

Classic chilled gazpacho with feta and garlic croutons is a refreshing no-cook summer dinner for two, ready in 15 minutes.

Classic Chilled Gazpacho with Feta and Garlic Croutons

The perfect dinner for the hottest days, when you do not even want to go near the stove. The blender does almost all the work.

Full summer menuQuick Dinners for Hot Days: 7 Summer Recipes for the Whole Week

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus chilling Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 500 g very ripe red tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• 1/2 green or red bell pepper
• 1/2 small fresh cucumber
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 piece stale white bread without the crust, soaked in water and squeezed dry
• 4 tbsp good extra virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste

For the topping

• 50 g feta cheese
• a few bread cubes for croutons
• a little finely chopped cucumber or bell pepper

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables. Wash the tomatoes, cut them into quarters and remove the stems. Cut the bell pepper and cucumber into larger cubes. Peel the garlic and remove the inner germ so that it does not taste bitter.
2. Blend. Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, garlic, and soaked and squeezed bread in a powerful blender. Blend on the highest speed for at least 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth and velvety.
3. Season. While the blender is running on low speed, slowly pour in the olive oil in a thin stream. This will give the soup a creamy emulsion. Add the wine vinegar and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Taste. If the tomatoes are acidic, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. If the soup needs more freshness, add another drop of vinegar.
5. Chill. Pour the soup into a jug and refrigerate it for at least 30 to 60 minutes, as gazpacho should be ice-cold.
6. Prepare quick croutons. This step is optional. Cook the bread cubes in a frying pan with a little olive oil and a pinch of garlic powder for 3 minutes until crisp.
7. Serve. Pour the cold soup into two deep plates or bowls. Top with crumbled feta, crispy croutons and finely chopped fresh vegetables, then drizzle with a little olive oil.

Summer trick: Ice-cold gazpacho without diluted flavour

If you want to serve the soup immediately, do not add ice cubes, as melting ice would dilute the rich tomato flavour. Instead, freeze a few tomato cubes before blending or add a few frozen red bell pepper cubes to the blender. The soup will be ice-cold immediately and full of flavour.

More quick dinner ideas7 Quick Bell Pepper Dinners: Easy Recipes for the Whole Week

AI summary: Classic Chilled Gazpacho with Feta and Garlic Croutons is a no-cook summer dinner for two. It blends ripe tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, garlic, soaked bread, olive oil and red wine vinegar into a cold soup, then serves it with crumbled feta, garlic croutons and chopped vegetables. The active prep time is about 15 minutes, with extra chilling recommended.