Savor the Final Weeks of Summer With This Perfect for a Picnic Gazpacho Soup Recipe
Savor the Final Weeks of Summer With This Perfect for a Picnic Gazpacho Soup Recipe
Recipe and photos by Launie Kettler
Summer might be winding down but thoughts of picnic food are still hanging around – at least in our minds. Of course, the phrase “picnic food” usually brings thoughts of pasta salads, fried or barbecued chicken, sandwiches, and the occasional hand pie. But, we’d like to ever-so-humbly submit gazpacho as the perfect picnic food.
Stay with us here.
It’s easy to make, easy to transport in deli containers, easy to serve, and you get the enjoyment of eating something so, so summery – something that was grown in the sun, while you’re sitting in the sun!
It’s a little meta when you think about it.
Unless you’re thinking “What the heck is gazpacho?” And you wouldn’t be the only one, so simply put: gazpacho is a soup made with raw blended veggies and served…cold. Say what? Who eats cold soup? Anyone who enjoys a cool and refreshing savory treat on a hot summer day, that’s who!
So, when you feel like dining al fresco, grab some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and an onion from the roadside stand, grab your favorite F.N. Sharp Damascus Steel Utility Knife, get that cutting board ready and get to choppin’!
Random Thoughts: Traditional Spanish gazpacho is made with a touch of cumin, which made us think, “Hey! Let’s lean into that flavor profile!” So, in place of the usual bell peppers, we reached for an ancho pepper, instead. And then we added a jalapeno just to give it a little touch of heat. Because, um, heat? Summer? Yeah, we really are leaning into that whole meta thing!
A Note About Croutons: Ideally, we like to make our own. They’re easy peasy, crunchy gazpacho toppers! Just grab your F.N. Sharp Damascus Steel Bread Knife, along with some bread, butter and herbs, and throw them in the oven for a few minutes. And bam! You’ve got a baking sheet full of buttery bread goodness!
But let’s say you’re running late for an anniversary picnic, or your pool just sprung a leak, or that special person you keep making eyes with at in the grocery store finally asks for your phone number, or you have a joke that you can’t wait to crack at trivia night, well then, there’s no shame in buying premade store croutons when life throws you a curveball. Because, the main point of gazpacho is, you guessed it, the summer bounty. Everything else is an accoutrement. But, if you have time to make them, go for it!
Perfect for a Picnic Tomato Gazpacho Soup Recipe
Yield: 6 Servings Cooking Time: 0 Minutes Total Prep Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes (with chilling)
Launie Kettler is a food writer and photographer who cooks big food in a small kitchen in northern Vermont. Her husband and cats are tolerant of the fact that she plays the same Wilco and Son Volt albums over and over while pontificating about the beauty of cumin.
The knife arrived quickly and in perfect condition. Not only is the knife well balance and very sharp, it is also beautiful. I'll be getting all my knives at F.N. Sharp in the future!
