HOUSTON —
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we're sharing dishes and recipes from some of Houston's favorite restaurants.
Our final recipe is for gazpacho, a popular vegetable soup from Spain that's served cold. Chef Luis Roger from BCN Taste & Tradition tops the dish with small cubes of watermelon, mango, and papaya. He also adds watermelon into his gazpacho mix. Chef Luis says, "It's a healthy refreshingly cool dish perfect for a hot summer day." So for Texas, it's a perfect dish almost year-round!
FRESH FRUIT GAZPACHO WITH BASIL | Serves 8
GAZPACHO
- 2 kilos ripe roma tomatoes (sliced in quarters)
- 500 grams seedless watermelon (cut in cubes)
- 30 grams sherry vinegar
- 25 grams sea salt
- 200 grams white onion (diced)
- 200 grams green bell pepper (diced)
- 160 grams cherries (diced)
- 100 grams extra virgin olive oil
In blender, mix all ingredients except for olive oil, blend until liquid. Strain and return to blender. Add olive oil and blend for 4 seconds. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. (Important to serve very cool)
GARNISH
- 8 watermelon cubes (small cut)
- 8 papaya cubes (small cut)
- 8 mango cubes (small cut)
- 32 small basil leaves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt flakes
- Fresh ground pepper
Place one cube of watermelon, papaya, mango & per bowl. Top fruit with basil leaves. Pour gazpacho around fruit, leaving fruit visible. Drizzle drops of olive oil in circle formation. Add a pinch fresh ground pepper and sea salt flakes.
