While it may not be summer, it certainly is National Gazpacho Day. In honor of the holiday, we are providing a recipe from Souper Freak, a food truck that patrols the streets of Baltimore, Maryland.

Summer Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp

Summer Gazpacho with Grilled Shrimp

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 cup olive oil mixed with garlic powder for shrimp plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil for gazpacho
  • 2 cloves garlic (optimally softened by grilling in an aluminum foil packet while you grill the shrimp, see below, then coarsely chopped)
  • 1 slice white bread, crust removed
  • 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  • 15 tomatoes, pureed and strained through a China cap strainer, plus 6 tomatoes, seeded and diced, for gazpacho
  • 9 Kirby cucumbers, stripe-peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 4 scallions, white parts only, thinly sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced3 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and seeds removed from half
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
  • Cilantro and lime wedges for garnish

Directions:

To make the shrimp and garlic, place the shrimp on a low-heat charcoal or gas grill. (Use a grill basket or skewer the shrimp.) Use a basting brush to coat the shrimp with the garlic olive oil. Grill until shrimp just turns pink.

Place the garlic cloves and a dab of olive oil in an aluminum foil pouch and grill until garlic is softened. Set aside for gazpacho. Store cooked shrimp in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make the gazpacho, place the white bread on a plate and soak it with the vinegar. Combine tomato purée, cucumbers, scallions, and peppers. Take one-quarter of the vegetable mix and blend it in a blender with the vinegar bread, grilled garlic, one-half cup olive oil, jalapeños, sugar, salt, lime juice, and Spanish paprika.

Pour the mixture back into the remaining vegetable mix. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine. Chill for at least two hours.