Name: Chilled Gazpacho with Crispy Chickpea Croutons
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided; 1½ t. ground cumin; ½ t. smoked paprika; Sea salt and black pepper, to taste; 1 medium red onion, roughly chopped; 1 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped; 1 large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped; 5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped; 2-3 fresh garlic cloves; ¾ c. water; 2 T. red wine vinegar; 3 T. fresh lemon juice, divided; ¼ c. fresh basil, roughly chopped; ½ c. fresh parsley, chopped; Sea salt and black pepper, to taste; 1 medium avocado; Optional: Sprigs of fresh basil and/or parsley, for garnish

Soup is one of those meals that gets firmly placed in the spring-autumn-winter categories. Not summer! But that forgets one special category of soup that is perfect for the warmer months – chilled soups. The classic is a chilled Gazpacho and here’s how to make it along with tasty chickpea croutons for a bread-free side dish.

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What is gazpacho?

Gazpacho is a cold soup made from vegetables that comes from Spanish and Portuguese cuisines, particularly from areas such as Andalusia and the Algarve. There are loads of different variations, but the classic dish usually includes tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic and olive oil.

Northern recipes will have cumin and sometimes smoked sweet paprika called pimenton. Gazpacho manchego is a meat stew (yes, the name is confusing) that isn’t actually related to this cold soup.

What is served with gazpacho?

The traditional way to serve gazpacho is with rustic crostini but there are plenty of options. A whole wheat baguette drizzled with olive oil and sea salt then lightly toasted would make a great side dish with it. Sometimes an olive tapenade is served alongside the soup.

You could also serve it with an array of tapas style dishes. Serrano ham, manchego cheese in cubes, avocado slices and marinated olives would also work to add to the dish. For something a little different, corn or tortilla chips would make a change to the bread. But in this case, we went with a twist on a soup tradition – croutons.

What you need

Chickpea “Crouton” Ingredients:

1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1½ t. ground cumin
½ t. smoked paprika
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Gazpacho Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
2-3 fresh garlic cloves
¾ c. water
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. fresh lemon juice, divided
¼ c. fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium avocado

Optional: Sprigs of fresh basil and/or parsley, for garnish

How to make gazpacho with chickpea croutons

STEP 1: Line a large baking sheet with parchment (greaseproof) paper and set aside

STEP 2: In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, ground cumin and paprika, season and combine

STEP 3: Spread the seasoned chickpeas onto the baking sheet and roast in the oven until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. You can turn mid-way through to ensure they are all browned

STEP 4: Finely dice one quarter of the red onion, bell pepper and cucumber

STEP 5: Place the tomatoes and the rest of the onion, pepper and cucumber in a food processor or high powdered blender. Add the garlic, water, red wine vinegar, two tablespoons lemon juice and fresh herbs. Season and pulse until smooth

STEP 6: Transfer the soup to a large glass bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally overnight

STEP 7: Once the chickpeas are cooked, remove and leave to cool. Store in an airtight container once cooled until serving

STEP 8: Before serving, dice the avocado and toss with one tablespoon of lemon juice to stop it going brown

STEP 9: Add the soup to serving bowls, top with finely chopped vegetables and serve with the chickpeas, avocado and fresh herbs

Recipe tips

If you aren’t a fan of chickpeas, it is very easy to make your own croutons. Cut some bread into even cubes. If it isn’t dry enough, pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes. Put the bread in the sauté pan with butter (we add garlic and some mixed herbs too) then cook until they start to brown. Turn and repeat then leave to cool before using.

Adding the herbs gives the soup more flavour but it does change the colour of the soup. If you want a brighter red, don’t add the herbs when blending but mince them finely and add after blending.

Yield: 4-6

Chilled Gazpacho with Crispy Chickpea Croutons

Get the best summer soup recipe with this simple chilled Gazpacho to enjoy for lunch and try making your own chickpea croutons to add with it!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Chickpea “Crouton” Ingredients:

1 15.5-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1½ t. ground cumin
½ t. smoked paprika
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Gazpacho Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 large red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
5 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
2-3 fresh garlic cloves
¾ c. water
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. fresh lemon juice, divided
¼ c. fresh basil, roughly chopped
½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium avocado
Optional: Sprigs of fresh basil and/or parsley, for garnish

Instructions