Gazpacho is a tomato-based soup made up of chopped raw vegetables and served cold. This soup originates in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. In this article’s version, we add seafood such as crab meat and whole prawns to make a delicious Seafood Gazpacho.

Any colour capsicum can be used in Gazpacho, however I like a capsicum colour contrast to the vivid red of the tomatoes; hence I tend to use either yellow, orange or green capsicums (or all three).

With regard to the leek, I prefer to use the white part only (having some of the pale green parts in the mix will not be a problem); the roots and the dark green leaves are trimmed away and discarded. Slice the leek in half lengthways, wash well and then cut into thick slices.

Use a glass bowl for chilling the tomato mix and also for the completed Gazpacho. Using a metal bowl may react with the acid of the tomatoes and limes to impart an unpleasant metallic flavour to the chilled soup.

My food processor is a Magimix food processor; it’s my choice for the ‘chopping’ in this recipe.

Ingredients

4 large very ripe tomatoes cut into quarters

1 capsicum, deseeded and cut into pieces

A good dash of Tabasco sauce

Freshly ground salt, to taste

1 leek, predominately the white part(s) only

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

1 red onion, cut into quarters

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon chilli powder

500g small green prawns, peeled and deveined

250g crab meat

2 limes, juiced

1-2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped (garnish)

Method

1 & 2

Process tomatoes and capsicum in your food processor until they’re of a liquid but chunky consistency, and then pour this mixture into a large glass bowl. Add salt to the tomato mixture, followed by the Tabasco sauce. Place the glass bowl in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour. Process leeks, garlic and onion in the same way.

3

Heat the canola oil in a frypan over a medium heat. Now add the leek mixture to the hot oil in the frypan and sauté for about five minutes until the ingredients in leek mixture have softened. Next sprinkle the chilli powder over the sautéed leek mixture.

4

Shift the leek mixture to one side of the frypan and then add the green prawns to the cleared area of the frypan. Cook the prawns, turning them occasionally until the prawns are pink. Stir well to combine the cooked prawns and the leek mixture together.

5

Add the prawn mixture to the tomato mixture together in the glass bowl (from the fridge). Add the crab meat to the tomato and prawn mixture in the bowl. You can add the chopped flat leaf parsley to the bowl and mix again. Pouring in the lime juice, and mix it all in together (using a fork) before returning the bowl to the fridge for a couple of hours to chill thoroughly. The nearly completed Gazpacho just needs to be garnished with coriander in a bowl prior to chilling in the refrigerator.

6

The completed Seafood Gazpacho. To serve, divide the Gazpacho between either individual glasses or bowls (I used martini glasses for a bit of fun in the photo). To garnish, sprinkle a few of the finely chopped coriander leaves over the top of the Gazpacho.