At Gramercy Tavern, we rotate our soup program weekly to reflect the bounty of the market, and to give the guests something new to look forward to every week. One day I was thinking about what soup to do for the new week and I was running out of time. On a whim, I put this recipe together quickly and crossed my fingers. Not only was it a huge hit, but it’s something I continue to make at home for myself. It was also a great reminder that some of the best things you’ll make are a result of not overthinking the process and letting the ingredients shine for themselves.For the garnish, I kept it simple by using a few ingredients that you’ll find at your local market during this time of year. The beauty of this soup is that it lends itself to lots of your favorite veggies! Walk around the market, see what vegetables you like to eat, and let them be part of a cool, refreshing, summer treat.
Serves 4
- 12 medium beefsteak tomatoes (about 8 pounds), cored
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 ¼ cups olive oil
- 2 cucumbers, peeled, sliced into thick rounds
- 1 shallot, cut in half, peeled, stem end trimmed
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¼ jalapeno, seeds removed
- 6 cups water
- Red wine vinegar
- Garnishes for serving (quartered cherry tomatoes, sourdough croutons, diced cucumber, diced summer squash)
1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Cover a rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of the foil. Cut six of the tomatoes in half and arrange them on the sheet pan. Season generously with salt, pepper and about ¼ cup olive oil. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes release some of their liquid, are tender to the touch, and have shrunk in size.
2. Quarter the remaining beefsteak tomatoes. In a mixing bowl, combine the roasted tomatoes (including any juice and olive oil left on the tray), the raw tomatoes, the cucumbers, the shallot, the garlic, the jalapeno, and the water.
3. Transfer one third of the vegetable mixture to a blender. With the blender running on high, carefully pour in 1/3 cup olive oil until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Transfer the contents of the blender to a clean bowl and repeat with the remaining two batches, adding 1/3 cup olive oil to each, and combining with the rest of the soup when blended.
4. Chill the soup thoroughly before serving. If you plan to serve it right away, you can chill it by placing the bowl of soup in a larger bowl of ice. Stir until chilled.
5. Once cold, taste the soup for seasoning. (Colder temperatures can mute seasonings so always season a cold soup after chilling). Add Season with salt and red wine vinegar to taste. It should taste like a ripe, delicious tomato.
6. Serve in shallow bowls garnished with your choice of garnishes. For the garnish, I kept it simple by using a few ingredients that you’ll find at your local market during this time of year. The beauty of this soup is that it lends itself to lots of your favorite veggies! Walk around the market, see what vegetables you like to eat, and let it be part of a cool, refreshing, summer treat.
