José Pizarro's recipe for courgette and almond gazpacho
Prep 5 minSteep 10 min+
Cook 10 min
Chill 1 hr+Serves 4-6
2 medium courgettes
½ cucumber
Sea salt and black pepper
80g stale white bread
75ml whole milk
100g toasted marcona almonds
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 handful basil leaves, plus extra to garnishExtra-virgin olive oil, to finish
Coarsely grate the courgettes and cucumber into a large bowl, sprinkle with sea salt, then tip into a sieve, set it over the bowl and leave to steep for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, break up the bread into a medium bowl, add the milk and leave to soak.
Squeeze out any excess liquid from the salted courgette and cucumber mix, then tip them into a blender. Add the soaked bread and any milk it hasn't soaked up, then add the almonds, garlic, vinegar and 500ml cold water. Blitz smooth, then taste to check the seasoning – you shouldn't need any extra salt, but a touch of ground black pepper may be in order. Add the basil leaves and blitz again.
Pour the soup into a large jug or bowl, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Once chilled, check the consistency of the soup – if you feel it's a bit too thick, add up to 200ml more cold water, to loosen.
Ladle into bowls, top with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a grind or two of black pepper, finish with a scattering of extra basil leaves and serve.
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