Asian Gazpacho

Name: Asian Gazpacho
Ingredients: 2 green finger chilies, seeded and finely chopped; ¼ cup (50 ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil; 2 green onions , cut into short lengths; 2 or 3 cloves garlic , smashed lightly with the side of a knife; ¼ cup (50 ml) finely chopped red or sweet white onions; 3 lbs (1.5 kg) ripe tomatoes; 2 tbsp (25 ml) grated ginger root; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce or light soya sauce; 1 cup (250 ml) finely chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber; ½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped bell peppers (optional); ¼ cup (50 ml) roughly chopped mint and/or coriander leaves; 2 tbsp (25 ml) lime juice; Salt to taste; 6 dried red chilies; Lime wedges and mint and/or coriander leaves for garnish

Chef

Andrew Chase

View

Cookbook

The Asian Bistro Cookbook

Published by Robert Rose

View

This image courtesy of Mark T. Shapiro

Editor's Note: This is a terrific summer recipe during July and August when the days and nights can be hot, hot, hot. Asian Gazpacho is a cold soup that will be extremely refreshing as a starter for your meal. This particular recipe leans toward a tomato base. Korea and Japan are two of the only Asian countries that are known for preparing cold soups. Gazpacho is much more common in the Philippines, where a much stronger Spanish influence still exists among its citizens. Enjoy this change of pace on your summer menu when you create this easy chilled soup! This recipe for Asian Gazpacho will quickly become one of your favorite summer dishes.

When tomatoes are ripe and plentiful and the weather is still warm, a cold tomato-based soup is wonderfully refreshing. But few Asian countries, apart from Korea and Japan, have a tradition of making cold soups. The Chinese make cold, sweet soups, but only for dessert. In the Filipino capital city of Manila, however, they still serve traditional gazpacho — a legacy of Spanish colonialism. While Spanish gazpacho is as much a cucumber soup as it is a tomato soup, this version definitely places the emphasis on tomatoes.

Serves4

CostModerate

Make Ahead RecipeYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Game Day

Recipe CourseAppetizer

EquipmentMortar And Pestle

MealDinner, Lunch

Taste and TextureGarlicky, Herby, Savory, Spiced, Tangy

Type of DishCold Soup, Soup

Ingredients

2 green finger chilies, seeded and finely chopped
¼ cup (50 ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil
2 green onions, cut into short lengths
2 or 3 cloves garlic, smashed lightly with the side of a knife
¼ cup (50 ml) finely chopped red or sweet white onions
3 lbs (1.5 kg) ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp (25 ml) grated ginger root
1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce or light soya sauce
1 cup (250 ml) finely chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber
½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped bell peppers (optional)
¼ cup (50 ml) roughly chopped mint and/or coriander leaves
2 tbsp (25 ml) lime juice
Salt to taste
6 dried red chilies
Lime wedges and mint and/or coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

Place chilies in a bowl. In a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; green onions cook until they start to brown. Add garlic; cook until golden. Pour through a strainer over chilies; set chili oil aside to cool. Remove green onion from strainer and discard. Finely chop garlic cloves and set aside.
In a large bowl add cold water to cover onions; let stand 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes 20 seconds; drain. Rinse under cold running water. Over a bowl, peel, core and seed them; finely chop tomato flesh and add to onions. Strain accumulated juices from bowl; add to tomatoes and onions.
In a small bowl stir together ginger, fish sauce and 2 tbsp (25 ml) water. Strain through a piece of cheesecloth over tomato-onion mixture, squeezing to extract juice. Stir in cucumber, peppers (if using), mint or coriander, lime juice and chili oil until well mixed. Season to taste with salt. Thin with water or tomato juice to desired consistency. Chill 30 minutes or until cool.
In dry frying pan over medium heat, toast dried chilies until darkened but not black. Transfer chilies to a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle) and grind to a reasonably fine powder. Garnish chilled gazpacho with lime wedges and herb leaves. Serve with roasted chili powder for seasoning to taste.