Looking at a counter piled with tomatoes? This summertime soup, which a reader requested the recipe for, could be the answer. A fixture on the menu at the downtown DC Nuevo Latino restaurant Ceiba, the bright gazpacho itself is easy to make and tasty on its own. But if you’ve got a little time, the restaurant’s garnishes make it really stand out.
Serves 4.
For the gazpacho:
4 yellow tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
3 radishes (preferably cello radishes), finely chopped
½ European cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
½ small Spanish onion, finely chopped
½ jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
6 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
Salt to taste
In a blender, combine the tomato, radish, cucumber, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro until the mixture forms a purée. Gradually add in the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, aji amarillo paste, and salt. Purée the mixture until it reaches an even consistency. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve. Refrigerate the soup until you’re ready to serve.
For the crab garnish:
1 yellow tomato, chopped
1 red tomato, chopped
¼ red onion, chopped
½ cucumber, seeded and chopped
½ jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 radish, julienned
2 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt to taste
3 sprigs cilantro
Mix all the ingredients except the cilantro in a non-metal bowl. The cilantro leaves will be used when serving (see assembly below).
For the avocado crema:
1 cup heavy cream
1 Hass avocado
12 sprigs cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 jalapeño pepper
Whip the cream. Purée the rest of the ingredients. Fold the purée mixture into the cream. Set aside.
For the garlic croutons:
½ French baguette, cut into small, ½-inch-by-½-inch cubes
½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, toss all the ingredients together. Place the bread slices on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
To assemble the soup:
Serve the chilled soup in individual bowls. Place a spoonful of avocado chantilly cream in the center. Top with the crab garnish and a few cilantro leaves. Sprinkle the croutons sparingly around the top.
Have a restaurant recipe you'd like sniffed out? E-mail recipesleuth@washingtonian.com.
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Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
