Alice Waters, Chef/owner * Chez Panisse
Berkeley, California

Chilled Tomato Soup Gazpacho-Style

  • 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 1/2 cups crustless, day old bread, cubed
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic
  • 5 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, halved (Brandywine)
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    For the soup: soak the chile in a bowl of hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, peel and crush it to a paste with a mortar and pestle; set aside. Soak bread cubes in a medium bowl of cold water until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain, squeeze out excess water and set aside.
    Crush garlic and 2 tablespoons of salt into a paste with mortar and pestle. Add drained bread and grind until smooth; set aside. Grate cut side of tomatoes on a box grater into a strainer set over a large bowl; strain out seeds and press through as much pulp as possible; discard skins. Stir reserved chile, garlic-bread paste and oil into tomato pulp-liquid. Season to taste with salt, cover and chill.

    Tomato Relish

  • 1/2 pound mixed, vine- ripened tomatoes (Green Zebra, Sun Gold and Sweet 100)
  • 1 small Mediterranean cucumber, seeded, peeled and diced
  • 1 Gypsy pepper, cored, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 bunch chervil, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch basil, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Tuscan olive oil
  • 6 slices Italian bread
  • Garlic
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

    For the relish: peel, seed and dice tomatoes. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, chervil, basil, vinegar and olive oil in bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    To serve: brush Italian bread slices with olive oil and rub with peeled garlic clove. Toast lightly. Ladle soup into bowls; add a generous spoonful of tomato relish into each bowl and top with toasted garlic bread. Serves 6.


    • Recipe Seeds: Tomatoes

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