Words by Giorgia Goggi. Photo by Maureen Evans and Letizia Cigliutti.
I have never liked the idea of a signature dish; whenever I was asked what mine was, I always replied that I didn’t have one; the idea of repeating the same thing over and over horrified me. However, I believe that if I asked our returning guests the same thing, they would answer, without a doubt, ‘Gazpacho!’ It has been a recurring item on our tasting menus since the very beginning, served in all possible variations and combinations from the early days of May until the first days of October. It is a dish I like to serve at the start of a meal, a preamble to the tasting menu; it is fresh, light and 100 per cent plant-based, and can pack an unexpected level of complexity. In this case, the gazpacho, unlike the Andalusian recipe, is made with roasted vegetables, emphasising their round, caramel-like flavour as opposed to the pungent freshness of the red wine vinegar. It’s more a method than a recipe; once you get into the gazpacho game, the possibilities are endless.
Craving more recipes like this? Get your copy of Moroseta Kitchen by Giorgia Goggi and discover the magic of Puglian cooking with easy, flavorful dishes that will become your new go-to favorites.
Roasted Vegetable Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 50 g (2 oz) finely sliced red onion
- 50 g (2 oz/3 tablespoons) red wine vinegar
- 50 g
(2 oz/3 tablespoons) water
- 15 basil leaves
- 45 g (1¾ oz/3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
- 5 g (¼ oz/1 teaspoon) ground cumin
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 400 g (14 oz) bell peppers, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 700 g (1 lb 9 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, quartered
- 250 g (9 oz) carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
- 350 g (11 oz) apricots, stoned and halved
- 50 g (2 oz/3 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
- 10 g (½ oz/2 teaspoons) salt
- 100 g (3½ oz) raspberries
- 60 g
(2 oz) currants pinch of sumac
- sorrel, or another aromatic herb of your choice
- bay leaf oil
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (400°F/gas 7).
- Combine the peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and apricots in a large bowl. Drizzle with the oil, then season with the salt and some freshly ground black pepper, and toss well. Tip into a large baking tray and spread out; they should not be packed too tightly together, otherwise they will steam instead of roasting and caramelising.
- Roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring halfway through. The vegetables should be well cooked, soft, and golden brown.
- While the vegetables are cooking, place the onion slices in a small bowl and cover with the vinegar and water. Leave to marinate for half an hour.
- Blend: Tip the roasted vegetables into a blender, along with the onion and its marinating liquid. Add the basil leaves and 45 g (1¾ oz/3 tablespoons) oil, then blend for 2 minutes at high speed.
- The consistency should be quite loose. Add water until the desired texture is reached. You may need to adjust the salt and vinegar, depending on how much water you have added.
- Transfer the gazpacho to a container, cover with cling film (plastic wrap), and allow to cool completely for 3–4 hours.
- Assemble: Serve in individual bowls, allowing a generous ladleful per person. Garnish the top with raspberries, currants, a pinch of sumac, sorrel or the herb of your choice, and a few drops of bay leaf oil.