Bread and Tomato Soup - Gazpacho Style #SundaySupper

I know some of you will liteally shiver when you read the title, since you´re buried in snow or the weather is minus x 2, or something similar, and might not even make it to the recipe, but I had to take a few liberties from what I read about this Sunday Supper event, hosted by Pam of The Meltaways, `what could be better on a cold winter day than soup? Share a soup recipe to warm up with on a chilly day or any time of the year´. 

I clearly choose those last five words as a guide, because it was so.darn.hot when I decided what soup to make.

On wednesday, the actual day I went into the kitchen, chopped and took the pictures, it was actually cool and almost windy, with cloudy skies and a feeling of a sad winter day. And it continued for two more days. I could do with a split pea soup if you ask me. Murphy´s law in full force.

So I suggest you think of this soup as a reminder of sunny and colorful days to come.

The last time I had gazpacho was a few years ago, and I have no idea why I never made it again. It´s my absolute favorite cold soup in the world, there´s no contest, it always wins.

I suspect there are as many `right´ ways of making gazpacho in Spain as there are of making the `right´ meat empanadas here, so let´s not get into any details about whether this one is or not a true and traditional one. It is so good it doesn´t matter.

The recipe has what I believe to be the typical ingredients of andalusian gazpacho, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, cucumber, green peppers and stale bread, this last one being a controversial one from what I heard. But I don´t care. That´s why I call it a bread and tomato soup gazpacho style.

Because it is exactly that, a bread and tomato soup. With a relish. This was served at a Chez Panisse anniversary, so I figured it would be a good recipe. I didn´t use the ancho chile it specified, because I couldn´t find any. It was made by David Tanis and Russell Moore and published by Saveur. 

Me, bread and fresh tomatoes go way back. I would come from school, a million and a half years ago, and eat a tomato mayo french bread sandwich as the ultimate snack. And I can´t count the times I´ve made a plain tomato salad with olive oil, salt and vinegar only to sop up the juices in the end with some fresh bread.

There´s some chopping, grating, mixing and refrigerating involved. That´s it. That´s all you do to get a fresh, crunchy, silky, piquant chilled soup that greatly improves if you use seasonal, organic tomatoes. I believe if you have your own plant of tomatoes this would be a different flavor in the best possible way. 

I don´t have a garden, much less a tomato plant, and still it is wonderful with regular market tomatoes. It has the right amount of garlic and vinegar, just the way I like gazpacho to be.

The bread and tomato soup is better served cold, not long after it is made, but giving it 15 or 20 minutes in the fridge to let the tomatoes release their juice. It can also be blended and served in a glass, which is the way I have mine when I´m alone.

BREAD AND TOMATO SOUP, GAZPACHO STYLE

barely adapted from The Best American Recipes 2002-2003, by F. McCullough and M. Stevens

The better and more in season the tomatoes, the better tasting this recipe will be. I add the garlic in the relish and sometimes more vinegar, because that´s how I like gazpacho. But you can mellow it if that´s your taste. And also add a chili if you want an extra kick.

If you feel you need more tomato juice and pulp, by all means add an extra tomato.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the soup:

1 ½ cup crustless day-old country white bread

3 garlic cloves

½ teaspoon salt

4 pounds round tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the relish:

2 cups round tomatoes, quartered, seeded and diced

½ cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

½ cup red onion, diced

½ cup green peppers, deveined and diced

Fresh parsley leaves, a handful

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 Tbs sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ garlic clove, minced (optional)

6 country bread slices, toasted

Directions

For the soup:

In a bowl, cover the bread with cold water and soak a few minutes, until bread is soft. Squeeze excess water and transfer bread to a large bowl.

With a big holed grater, grate each tomato half over the bowl with the bread, until you only have the skins left.

In a mortar with a pestle, or a kitchen board with a big knife, mash garlic with salt, until you have a wet paste. Add to tomatoes and bread and mix. Add olive oil, mix well, check seasonings, cover and refrigerate.

For the relish: In a bowl mix all ingredients.

To serve: Laddle bread and tomato soup equally among bowls or soup plates. Add a few Tbs relish on top of each and serve with a piece of toasted bread. 

Serve immediately.

Grated tomatoes and water soaked bread

As you can see, there´s a soup for every palate:

Do The Chicken Dance (chicken {or other poultry} soups)

§                      Chicken Tortellini & White Bean Soup at Flour On My Face

§                     Chicken Gnocchi at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

§                     Chicken Cheese Soup by There and Back Again

§                     Chicken Tortellini Soup by Country Girl In The Village

§                     Chicken Soup with Leeks, Onions and Fennel by Shockingly Delicious

§                     Family Style Tablescape featuring Chicken Tortilla Soup by An Appealing Plan

§                     Yucatan Chicken Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima) by The Weekend Gourmet

§                     Chicken Meatball, Spinach and Orzo Soup from  Gourmet Drizzles

§                     Ground Turkey Soup at The Messy Baker

§                     Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Sausage Chowder by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

§                     Turkey Meatball Soup by Basic and Delicious

§                     Chick-Fil-A Chicken Noodle Soup by Family Foodie

§                     Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup at Cupcakes and Pearls 

Where’s The Beef (Beef Soups)

§                      Chili with Black Beans by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

§                     Vegetable and Beef Soup by Supper For a Steal

§                     Swabian Beef Spaetzle +1 Soup (Gaisburger Marsch) at Galactosemia in PDX

§                     Bacon Cheeseburger Soup by Small Wallet, Big Appetite

§                     Beef Pho Soup by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies

§                     Frijol con Carne by MarocMama

§                     Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup)  by Neighborfood 

Pass The Pork. Please (Pork or Sausage Soups)

§                      Healthy Bean and Sausage Soup by Momma’s Meals

§                     Smoked Sauage and Wild Rice Soup at Mama, Mommy, Mom

§                     Louisiana Caldo by Catholic Foodie

§                     Sweet potato and spanish chorizo soup at My Cute Bride

§                     Soft Tofu Soup (Soondubu Jjigae) by Hip Foodie Mom 

Under The Sea (Seafood Soups)

§                      Shrimp Miso Noodle Soup at Pescetarian Journal

§                     Szechuan Fish Soup by The Urban Mrs.

§                     New England Clam Chowder at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

§                     Hearty Okra Shrimp Gumbo Laced with Coconut Oil by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

§                     Bacon and Shrimp Bisque at Big Bear’s Wife

§                     Lobster Bisque for Two by Peanut Butter and Peppers

§                     Chinese Fish Maw Soup by My Trials in The Kitchen

§                     Thai Curry Coconut Mussel Soup by Noshing With The Nolands 

Eat Your Veggies (Chock Full o’ Vegetables Soups)

§                      Not-So-Mini-Strone at The Army Foodie Wife

§                     French Onion Soup by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

§                     Spicy Sweet Potato and Corn Soup at Magnolia Days

§                     Creamy Cheddar Potato Soup at Daily Dish Recipes

§                     Rather French Onion Soup by What Smells So Good

§                     Broccoli Cheddar Soup by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks

§                     Cream of Ancho Chile Soup from La Cocina de Leslie

§                     Pasta e Fagoli Soup at Cravings of a Lunatic

§                     Miso Soup by Crazy Foodie Stunts

§                     Vegetable Consommé with Semolina Dumplings – Grießknödel at Masala Herb

§                     Vegetable Medley Soup with Broccoli and Leeks at Chattering Kitchen

§                     Yamato Soup at Cooking Underwriter

§                     Smoky Kale and Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons by The Wimpy Vegetarian

§                     Coconut Corn Chowder at Mangoes and Chutney

§                     Make Your Own (Gluten Free) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup at The Meltaways

§                     Ital Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup at The Lovely Pantry

§                     Chunky Vegetable and Barley Soup at Curious Cuisiniere

§                     Corn Soup with Crispy Tortilla Strips at Ninja Baking

§                     Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup by The Hand That Rocks The Ladle

§                     Wild Mushroom Soup at Food Lust People Love

§                     Tomato Basil Soup with Cous Cous at Ruffles and Truffles

§                     Creamy Carrot Soup at Cookistry

§                     Vermicelli Soup by Damn Delicious

§                     Country Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Potatoes at girlichef 

Some Don’t Like It Hot (Chilled Soups)

§                      Chilled Strawberry Soup at Juanita’s Cocina

Of course once you have seen all of the recipes for the day, you’ll not want to miss our  #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special soup recipes!

Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Don’t forget to check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite soup, stew, chowder or bisque recipes with us!