Cherry Gazpacho. Topped with salty goat’s cheese A delicious modern twist on the traditional Spanish soup.
Cherry Gazpacho? Never heard of it?
Neither had I. I first tried Cherry Gazpacho at one of our favourite restaurants, El Monastrell in Alicante a couple of years ago. It was a sweltering hot summer evening, mid-August. The sort of heat, you can’t escape, that rises up off the asphalt and infuses into the soles of your sandals as you cross the road.
We were still wiping off the sweat when we were greeted by owner Maria Jose San Roman who took one look at us and quickly suggested this appetiser.
I can still taste the cherries as I write, feel the wonderful chill of the soup and the surprising saltiness of the crumbly goat’s cheese.
Each summer, as cherries come into season, and it gets hotter and hotter, I find myself making this healthy soup recipe again and again.
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How to make Cherry Gazpacho
This cherry soup is seriously good for you. Cherries are packed with anti-oxidants, helping to ward off diseases. Plus they can help you sleep at night thanks to the melatonin.
Here’s how to make it:
Two pieces of advice to hand out before you begin this recipe for making a Spanish gazpacho de cerezas (cherry gazpacho.)
1: Buy extra cherries
Uno: buy more cherries than you need, as resisting eating ripe cherries straight from the brown bag is pointless (I had to go back to the shop, as I ate most of the first lot), and…
2: Buy a cherry pitter
Dos: Buy a cherry pitter. You can punch out the stones in a couple of minutes. (They’re also good for pitting olives.) This saves time and prevents you wasting cherry pulp.
Get ready:
You’ll need these kitchen items to make this Gazpacho.
– Blender (any of these will do)
– Drum sieve or fine meshed sieve
– Large bowl
– Airtight storage container
Cherry Boost
Like with any fruit gazpacho this recipe calls for you to swop out some of the tomatoes in this traditional gazpacho recipe for fruit – in this case cherries.
But, how many cherries you add is up to you!
It depends on how tomato-y or cherry-y (probably not words) you want your Cherry Gazpacho to taste.
Spanish chefs vary in opinion. Martin Berasategui, the ten
But if you prefer the taste of cherry to dominate then do as Andalucia’s Dani Garcia does and opt for an equal 50:50 tomato to cherry split. The result is a beautiful dark-red soup that tastes of primarily of sweet cherries, the tomato disappearing way into the background.
Cherry Gazpacho by Michelin Chefs
If you are looking to up your game to Michelin standard. Joan Roca, of Celler de Can Roca, pours the cherry soup onto peeled and hulled cherries, filled with a brunoise of red and yellow pepper. Dani Garcia uses liquid nitrogen to create a milk and goat’s curd snow, to add to the Cherry Gazpacho, which he tops with cured anchovies and basil oil.
Or, keep it simple and use Goat’s Cheese
But leaving liquid nitrogen and knife skills to the professionals, crumbled goat’s cheese works like a dream. Top with a fresh, cold cherry and you have one impressive canape or starter.
