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B.L.A.T. Gazpacho with Avocado Crème Fraîche
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It’s hard to top traditional Gazpacho recipes – but adding bacon and avocado is never a bad idea. Inspired by Chef Reed Herrick, this recipe only gets better the deeper into tomato season you make it. Served room temperature or chilled with a dollop of avocado crème fraîche, it’s as refreshing as it is flavorful!
What is Gazpacho?
If you’ve never tried this traditional Spanish soup, it’s basically tomato and cucumber soup with croutons- but served chilled or at room temperature.
Why would you serve cold soup?
This recipe has been around for thousands of years. The region where it originated, Andalusia, is known for its hot summers. This refreshing soup is made with raw vegetables and designed to cool you down. Nowadays, most folks use a blender but the traditional recipe was made by crushing the vegetables with a mortar and pestle (which coincidentally, helped to keep the ingredients cool).
What ingredients are used to make gazpacho?
Most recipes for gazpacho include tomatoes, cucumbers, vinegar, olive oil and bread. There are countless riffs on this simple recipe…in fact we’re sharing a few of our favorites underneath the recipe card.
Why is gazpacho popular in the summer?
There are two reasons that this soup is such a popular summer dish. We’ve already addressed the fact that the recipe is refreshing and cooling – but nowadays many of us have AC to help with that. In our humble opinion, the real reason that this soup is so popular in the summer because that’s when the star ingredients (tomatoes and cucumbers) are at their peak. You can make gazpacho all year round but sun-ripened summer tomatoes really elevate the flavor.
Let’s make some soup!
B.L.A.T. Gazpacho with Avocado Crème Fraîche
Ingredients
For the Garnish
- 2 cups sourdough bread cubes
- 3 tablespoons California extra virgin olive oil
- 6 slices of bacon
For the Avocado Crème Fraîche
- 4 ounces Real California crème fraîche
- 2 avocados pitted and peeled
- 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Gazpacho
- 5 pounds California ripe tomatoes peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 quart tomato juice
- 1 quart sparkling water
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 scallions roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons dark red hot pepper sauce
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon pepper
Instructions
For the Garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a large sheet pan, toss the bread cubes in olive oil and bake for 12-15 minutes, until crispy and golden.
- Meanwhile, heat the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, using a press or the bottom of a smaller pan to keep it from bubbling. Cook until crispy, then let cool on a paper-towel lined plate or baking rack.
For the Avocado Crème Fraîche
- Combine the crème fraîche, avocado, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Set aside or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
For the Gazpacho
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and hot sauce.
To Serve
- Ladle soup into serving bowls, top with a generous dollop of avocado crème fraîche, then garnish with sourdough croutons and crumbles of the crispy bacon!
Nutrition
It’s a cruel, cruel summer. You might need a whole lot of chilled soup to make it through.
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
This Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho makes the best of your summer garden bounty of tomatoes! Serve with creamy California avocados and a swirl of crema.
Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho
Our friends at Salt and Wind introduced us to this fabulous riff on the classic recipe. Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho is destined to become a summer fave.
Classic Tomato Gazpacho
Aida from Salt and Wind shares her secret to the perfect Gazpacho – marinating the tomatoes before blending the soup together. Sure, it takes a little extra time but it’s so worth it.
Mexican Gazpacho
Hola Jalapeno tweaked the traditional Spanish recipe by adding Poblano chiles, lime juice and cilantro. The Sumac shrimp and avocado garnish is optional but highly recommended.
Green Grape and Almond Gazpacho
Kate from Hola Jalapeno notes that this recipe would make a Spaniard roll over in their grave. Regardless, this refreshing recipe is the perfect way to beat the stifling summer heat.
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Want to learn more about when CA Grown produce is at its peak? Check out our handy seasonality chart to shop the seasons!