Ambrosia Apples and Tomato Gazpacho Recipe
Classic Cold Soup with a Twist
Gazpacho is a fresh, healthy meal that helps cool things off on a hot day. Most people think of the traditional recipe (with tomatoes and cucumbers) but this recipe has an unexpected ingredient that will have your family and dinner guests raving. The secret is Ambrosia apples!
Ambrosia apples are the perfect addition to traditional gazpacho because often the soup is too acidic. Ambrosia apples, more than any other apple, balance that out with their sweetness without adding to the acidity (because they are a very low-acid apple). They are also firm and crisp. This makes them satisfying to bite into but it also provides some substance to this blended soup.
Plus, Ambrosia apples are slow to brown, so your gazpacho will keep better in the fridge. Not that you’ll have any leftovers! This recipe is so delicious, it’s bound to get slurped up quickly.
Simply add a peeled Ambrosia apple to your favourite gazpacho recipe when you’re blending it. We also recommend saving some chopped Ambrosia apple chunks for garnish.
If you don’t already have a favourite gazpacho recipe, here’s a simple one that we found and tested. It comes from Noa Sivan (who lives in Spain – the birthplace of gazpacho). She shared this on her Twitter account @migdalorr. We made a few minor adjustments, but the base recipe is hers.
She lists ‘ripe tomatoes’ as an ingredient. We used Roma tomatoes but any variety will do. Beefsteak tomatoes would also be a good choice. The fleshier tomatoes work best and the bigger they are, the fewer you have to peel.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg ripe tomatoes (about 10 – 12 medium Roma tomatoes)
- 1 cucumber (medium)
- 1 onion (medium)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper (or Hungarian pepper, if you like a bit of spice)
- 1 – 3 garlic cloves (depending on your taste preferences)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 of an Ambrosia apple (medium)
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
Method:
- Peel tomatoes. To do this, score an ‘X’ on the bottom of the tomato and place in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and immediately place them in an ice bath. The skins should easily peel off. You can also deseed the tomatoes but some people like the seeds, so this is personal preference.
- Peel cucumber and Ambrosia apple (optional)
- Finely dice 1/3 of all vegetables and 1/4 of the Ambrosia apple. Set aside.
- Blend all remaining ingredients until smooth.
- Taste and salt as needed.
- Strain through a sieve (optional)
- Stir in diced vegetable.
- Chill for 30 minutes
- Top with diced Ambrosia apples and serve
This cold soup is so refreshing as a lunch on a hot day or in the evening alongside some grilled shrimp and corn on the cob. Traditionally it’s served with crusty bread.
However you serve it, ‘Buen Provecho!’ as they say in Spain.