Fermented Gazpacho: A Probiotic Summer Soup from Spain

June means burgeoning gardens and billowing Farmers Markets. The freshest of vegetables won’t be around for long, so it’s time to take advantage! Dive into summer with a refreshing twist on a classic: fermented gazpacho. This chilled soup blends the tangy, probiotic-rich depth of fermentation with the crisp, sun-ripened flavors of tomatoes and cucumbers. It’s a lively, gut-friendly dish perfect for the ever-warming days.

Any cucumber or tomato varietal will work for this recipe. Have fun with what’s available locally!

Fermentation is a great way to add health benefits to your food without compromising the flavor of the original specimen. To learn more about the health benefits, click the link to a previous blog post below:

a guide to Spontaneous lactoFermentation

This recipe utilizes the native beneficial organisms living on your vegetables (and nearly every surface, for that matter) to transform your produce. Salt and careful management prevent unwanted organisms such as mold to spoil the process. This process is simple, but may be unfamiliar or intimidating to some. Fear not, success is well within your reach! Once you are familiar with the process, you are able to apply this to any fruit or vegetable you desire!

Note: This method differs from many methods in that it does not use a brine or rely on vegetables being submerged in their liquid. CO2 produced by the lactobacteria displaces oxygen in the jar and protects the vegetables from dangerous bacteria.

Here’s what you need:

• A sturdy glass canning jar (Mason/Ball are reliable brands)

• A well fitting plastic lid or a metal canning lid with ring.

• A scale for precise measurements (science!)

• Vegetables or fruits, in this case cucumber, tomato, and garlic

• Time, in this case 2-5 days, depending on your home environment and the strength of the organisms on your vegetables

This is all you need to ferment your produce!

Preparatory steps:

1. Wash your produce and remove any obvious blemishes.

2. Cut to your preferred size. This will be determined by the dish’s application and the size of your canning jar.

3. Thoroughly clean and dry your canning jar and lid.

4. Place your jar on your scale and tare to zero the weight. Set the unit to grams for easy math.

5. Add your vegetables, lightly mashing them to fit in snugly. Note the weight of the vegetables.

6. Measure 2% salt and add to the jar. (Multiply the weight of the veggies in grams by .02 for your salt amount.)

7. Tighten the lid and shake the jar well to distribute the salt around the surface of your produce.

8. Very gently loosen the lid - just to the point where the lid is not fully tight.

Cut the vegetable to fit efficiently into your fermentaiton vessel. In this case, 1 inch x 1 inch pieces was about right.

A plastic lid is best, but a canning lid/ring will suffice. Make sure to keep the lid the slightest bit loose while fermenting.

Salt is added and then the jar is shaken to distribute it around the vegetable surfaces.

Monitoring the fermentation:

Every 12 or 24 hours:

1. Inspect for mold. If you see any mold growing, it is prudent to compost the contents and try again. You may confuse mold with kahm yeast, which is safe-to-eat, though undesirable. Mold is hairy due to its spores. Kahm yeast is matte and flat.

2. Tighten the lid and gently shake the jar to redistribute the salt and lactic acid.

3. Gently re-loosen the jar to prevent too much gas build up.

After 2-3 days, it is time to taste:

1. With a clean spoon or fork, remove a vegetable and give it a taste

2. You are looking for a delicate flavor change, with increased tang and added umami.

3. The longer it sits, the more it will taste like the fermentation process, and less like the original vegetable. Experiment and find what you like best for your tastes and cooking applications.

If not using immediately, refrigerate when you reach your desired taste destination. It will continue to ferment in the fridge, but much more slowly.

On to the gazpacho!

This is a simple and healthy recipe highlighting the vegetables as the core element. This omits the traditional Andalusian soaked bread and pimento peppers and reduces the olive oil to a simple garnish. If you endeavor, feel free to add more of the traditional elements to your taste. A dash of fresh herbs such as oregano, marjoram, or basil would be a welcome bonus if you have them on hand.

Fermented gazpacho

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb cucumbers, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 2/3 lb tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
• kosher or sea salt for fermentation (2 % by weight)
• maracona almonds, roughly chopped
• olive oil, for garnish
• 1/2 cup water, or to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Follow the guide above to ferment the cucumbers and tomatoes.
2. Blend with a stick blender to the texture of a fine salsa. Dilute with water to lessen the intensity of flavor and to add silkiness to your liking.
3. Chill the puree until cold.
4. In a hot pan, heavily toast the maracona almonds until lightly blackened. Chop.
5. Serve the gazpacho simply in a cup with the almonds and a heavy swirl of your nicest olive oil.

enjoy!!

Reminder:
YOU are the final arbiter of your tasting experience. If you don’t like something, take note and adjust what you dislike or remove it from future applications. don’t be bound to tradition. take recipes with a grain of salt and make them yours!