TIP OF THE DAY: Gazpacho & Beer

August 16, 2014 at 8:13 am · Filed under Appetizers-Hors d’Oeuvre, Cocktails & Spirits, Soups

This gazpacho has a surprise ingredient:
beer! Photo courtesy Frontera Foods.

Here’s a fun idea that can be a soup course, a main course or pass-around party fare, served in small glasses.

This idea was developed at Frontera Foods, a Chicago-based Mexican foods company headed by Chef Rick Bayless, in partnership with Bohemia Beer. You can serve “beer gazpacho” or turn it into a Martini.

The tip isn’t just to add beer to gazpacho, but that you can season gazpacho with the addition of prepared salsa.

The soup can be made ahead and even tastes better when allowed to sit overnight. The recipe makes about 3 quarts.

To serve gazpacho as a light main course, consider adding:

A large salad

Crostini, perhaps with olive tapenade

Tapas

Platters of Spanish sausages, Serrano ham, tortilla Española (Spanish omelet, served at room temperature), Spanish cheeses (look for Cabrales, Idiazabal, Mahon, Manchego and Murcia al Vino), and rustic bread

Instead of wine, chilled dry sherry

RECIPE: FRONTERA’S SALSA GAZPACHO

Ingredients For 6-8 Main Course Servings

5 pounds ripe red tomatoes (16 to 20 medium-sized plum or 12 medium-small round)

2 seedless cucumbers, peeled

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 bottle (16 ounces) Frontera Habanero Salsa or substitute

1/2 cup Bohemia beer (or substitute)

2 cups torn (½-inch inch pieces) white bread

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Salt to taste, about 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons

1½ cups home-style croutons

Preparation

1. CHOP enough of the tomatoes into a ¼-inch dice to a generous 1½ cups. Chop enough of the cucumber into ¼-inch dice to yield a generous 1 cup. Stir in the cilantro. Cover and refrigerate for garnish.

2. ROUGHLY CHOP the remaining tomatoes and cucumber. Mix with the salsa, beer, bread, olive oil and vinegar. In a blender, purée the mixture in 2 batches until smooth.

3. TRANSFER to a large bowl. Stir in just enough water to give the soup the consistency of a light cream soup, about ½ to 1 cup. Taste and season with salt. Chill thoroughly.

4. SERVE: Set out the tomato-cucumber garnish mixture and croutons. Ladle the soup into chilled soup bowls. Pass the garnishes.