Eggplant Gazpacho Recipes

GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!
• After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

BEST GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
• With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
• Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

EGGPLANT GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Drizzle cut side of each eggplant half with 1 Tbsp. oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place eggplant, cut side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1½ hours. Cool. Discard large seed pockets. Scoop flesh into bowl; discard skins. Set eggplant aside. Place tomatoes in processor; using on/off turns, process to coarse puree. Strain pureed tomatoes into large bowl and press on solids in strainer to measure 1½ cups tomato juice aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until onions are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add cumin and cayenne pepper; stir 1 minute. Add yogurt, lemon juice, and tahini; stir, scraping up browned bits. Remove from heat. Stir in eggplant. Place half of eggplant mixture into blender. With blender running, gradually add ¾ cup tomato juice, then 1 cup water. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until cold at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Divide chilled gazpacho among bowls. Drizzle gazpacho with extra-virgin olive oil and serve. *Sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores and Middle Eastern markets.

INTRICATE GREEN GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cilantro, parsley and basil and cook until bright green, about 45 seconds. Remove the herbs and place into a bowl of ice water until cold. Drain.
• In a blender, combine the herb mixture, jalapeno and 2 cups ice water and puree until smooth. With the motor running, add the oil. Using a sieve over a medium bowl, strain the herb puree and season with salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, toss together the scallion, tomatillos, avocado, apple and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, season the cucumber with salt and pepper. Using your hands, squeeze out the excess liquid from the cucumber. Place 1/4 of the cucumber in the center of each of four soup bowls and surround the cucumber with the tomatillo mixture. Pour 1/4 of the herb puree into each bowl. Garnish each bowl with chopped parsley and serve.

ROASTED GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F Combine the tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onions, garlic, and olive oil in a large roasting pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Put the mixture into a bowl and add the vinegar, salt, pepper, water, and bread. Refrigerate and allow to cool for several hours or overnight.
• Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender. You can put it through a food mill or strainer to remove any remaining solids.
• Check seasoning, garnish and serve.