In the height of summer, alongside classic cold rice salads and pasta salads, I often prepare cold soups and creams, perhaps accompanied by croutons. One of my latest discoveries was the cold pepper soup (or pepper gazpacho), which pleasantly surprised me. Inspired by the classic Spanish gazpacho, this soup has a more delicate and less acidic flavor, while the crumbled feta adds a delightful sweet-salty contrast. The cold pepper soup is made with oven-roasted peppers or microwave-cooked peppers: an excellent alternative on hotter days. The other ingredients – cucumbers, a bit of red onion, and basil – are added raw directly into the blender. The cold pepper soup with feta will win you over at first taste, and I’m sure it will become one of your favorite cold first courses!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Microwave
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 283.11 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.38 (g) of which sugars 11.19 (g)
- Proteins 10.40 (g)
- Fat 14.88 (g) of which saturated 6.02 (g)of which unsaturated 2.67 (g)
- Fibers 5.38 (g)
- Sodium 696.04 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 360 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Pepper Gazpacho
- 1.3 lbs peppers (roasted = about 4 medium peppers)
- 11.3 oz cucumbers
- 8 leaves basil
- 0.7 oz red onion
- 5.6 oz feta
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 2 slices bread (for serving; gluten-free for me)
Tools
- 1 Microwave Oven
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Mixer large
How to Make Pepper Gazpacho with Feta
To prepare the cold pepper soup, you will need cooked and peeled peppers (1). You have two options: you can roast them in the oven with this recipe or cook them in the microwave, following the instructions found here. Both articles provide tips for easy peeling. Peel the cucumber and cut it into cubes (2).
Peel the onion and slice it (3). Put in a large mixer or in the bowl of the blender the pepper pieces, cucumber cubes, onion, basil leaves, a pinch of salt – don’t overdo it as feta is already quite salty – a pinch of pepper, and 2 tablespoons of oil (4).
Also pour in very cold water (5). Blend everything for a minute or two until you get a homogeneous and rather thick mixture (6). Place the pepper gazpacho in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to serve it cold.
Just before serving, crumble the feta with a knife (7). Briefly toast the slices of bread and cut them into cubes to make croutons. Divide the pepper cream into 4 bowls and top with crumbled feta and bread croutons (8).
Garnish the cold pepper soup with a few basil leaves and a pinch of pepper and serve immediately.
Storage
The cold pepper soup can be stored in the refrigerator, in a glass container, for 2 or 3 days.
Tips and Variants
Pepper gazpacho can also be made with leftover cooked peppers from other recipes; just be careful with the salt: if the peppers have already been salted, do not add more to the soup, considering the saltiness of feta. The proportion between peppers and cucumbers can vary according to taste and needs, just as the amount of water can be increased or decreased depending on whether you want a thicker or more liquid soup.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I use instead of feta?
I find that feta is perfect for this preparation because it gives the gazpacho a salty and at the same time tangy note; but if you don’t like it, you can replace it with grated salted ricotta.
