Deconstructed Blt
Like gazpacho, this soup is best when it is made with the freshest, most flavorful summer produce. All of the components of a classic BLT are in here, but the presentation is all new. The bread is part of the broth, the lettuce forms the cup and the soup is garnished with “cookies”—delicate disks of crisp bacon made from pressed and molded slivers of sliced bacon.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 1½ cups tomato juice
- 2 cups French bread crust removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 12 medium sized tomatoes peeled seeded, and chopped (about 7 cups)
- 1 English cucumber peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 Bibb lettuce leaves washed and dried
- Additional diced cucumber for garnish
- 6 3-inch Bacon “Cookies”
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine tomato juice and bread cubes and let soak until the bread is very soft, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until smooth.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, paprika, cumin and pepper.
- Blend to a very smooth puree.
- You may need to work in batches.
- With the mixer running on high speed, add the oil slowly, in a steady stream.
- Cover and refrigerate the gazpacho until it is well chilled, at least 1 hour.
- Place a Bibb lettuce leaf in the center of 6 bowls.
- Ladle the chilled gazpacho over lettuce cups into the bowls, sprinkle with diced cucumber and garnish with a Bacon “Cookie”.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serve immediately.