Gazpacho is fine, but when it comes to tomato-centric summer apps, I’m more of a caprese kinda gal (duh, cheese), which is why this caprese gazpacho was ideal for me. I loosely followed this recipe and found it to be a light and fun summer starter.
I love that this recipe calls for heirloom – not regular – tomatoes. For 2 servings, you’ll want 3 large ‘maters, cored. Cut them into chunks and blend them in a food processor with a handful of basil, cracked pepper, a splash of white wine vinegar (I used champagne vinegar), and a glug or two of olive oil. Strain through a mesh sieve. That’s it for the soup part. For garnish, you’ll tear mozzarella into chunks and gently place it in the individual bowls. Then drizzle with basil oil…aka pesto without the nuts and cheese. You can make the basil oil in a food processor or mortar & pestle, or even just with some serious knife skills. I just kept chopping away with a knife til the basil was super fine, then kinda mashed the back of a spoon into some oil. Finally, top with some flaky sea salt.
Note: mine came out very thin, more like a velouté. That didn’t make it any less delicious. Fresh mozzarella is key here – it’s the only way it’ll actually tear and provide the supple texture you want. Did I just say supple? You don’t want rubbery mozz here. Good, flaky salt is also important. You’re only using a few ingredients here and salt will really bring out their natural flavors. That means that unlike traditional gazpacho, you’ll get lots of great flavor…that’s not garlic.
Peaches to Apples 