Author Notes
How did I end up here? On my way to pairing horseradish with potato, I made a pit stop at another nightshade, tomato. I was thinking about a Bloody Mary, which reminded me of the Heirloom Tomato Soup and Sorbet I made last summer (and how they inspired a tomato sorbet based riff on a Bloody Mary). Although summer is a ways off, my daughter, a.k.a. the Tomato Bandit, has two cherry tomato plants that have taken over our raised bed, and are brimming with red beauties. This got me thinking about gazpacho, but with a twist—using green apple instead of cucumber. Once I got my soup chilling however, I decided there were too many seeds, so strained out the solids, stirred in some horseradish-dill-crème fraiche, and ended up with this soup. One taste begins with a sweet burst of tomato and apple, and ends with the peppery bite of horseradish. Crème fraiche and dill round out the flavors of this chilled starter; serve in small bowls, as a little goes a long way. —gingerroot
Test Kitchen Notes
WHO: Gingerroot is a Honolulu-based cook and art educator.
WHAT: A chilled tomato soup that's unexpected (and delicious!) in every way.
HOW: Whizz together tomatoes, apples, horseradish, garlic, and lime juice. Strain, then swirl in a dilly, horseradish-spiked crème fraîche.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This soup is an unfussy take on gazpacho that's elegant and spunky at once. It's a snap to make (just blend the ingredients and chill—waiting overnight really is worth it!) and zippy to eat, with the crème fraîche pulling it all together. And we're dreaming of lots of other things to do with the creamy topping... Tossed with potatoes or slaw or with eggs? Yes.
—The Editors
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Ingredients
- For soup
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30
ripe red cherry tomatoes
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1
Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored, sliced and chopped
-
4 teaspoons
prepared horseradish
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1
garlic clove
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3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons
apple cider vinegar
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Juice of 1/2 a lime
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1/2 teaspoon
sea salt plus more to taste if necessary
- For horseradish-dill-crème fraiche topping
-
2 tablespoons
crème fraîche
-
1 teaspoon
prepared horseradish
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2 teaspoons
fresh dill, snipped
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Squeeze or two of fresh lime wedges, to taste
Directions
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Halve cherry tomatoes. Place tomatoes and chopped apple into bowl of a food processor. Add remaining soup ingredients, and pulse until well combined. Taste for salt, adding more if necessary. Pulse again.
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Strain mixture through a sieve into a quart Pyrex measure or glass bowl. Press down on solids with a spatula to get the most out of the seeds and pulp. Continue to press on solids until quite dry and you have 3 cups of liquid. Discard solids. Cover strained soup with plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours, preferably overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
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When ready to serve, make your horseradish-dill-crème fraîche by combining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Remove soup from refrigerator, stir and taste, adjusting seasonings if necessary (salt, lime).
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Serve soup in small bowls and top with a dollop of the seasoned crème fraîche. Swirl in crème fraîche using a chopstick or spoon. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
My most vivid childhood memories have to do with family and food. As a kid, I had the good fortune of having a mom who always encouraged trying new things, and two grandmothers who invited me into their kitchens at a young age. I enjoy cooking for the joy it brings me - sharing food with loved ones - and as a stress release. I turn to it equally during good times and bad. Now that I have two young children, I try to be conscientious about what we cook and eat. Right about the time I joined food52, I planted my first raised bed garden and joined a CSA; between the two I try to cook as sustainably and organically as I can. Although I'm usually cooking alone, my children are my favorite kitchen companions and I love cooking with them. I hope when they are grown they will look back fondly at our time spent in the kitchen, as they teach their loved ones about food-love.
Best of all, after years on the mainland for college and graduate school, I get to eat and cook and raise my children in my hometown of Honolulu, HI. When I'm not cooking, I am helping others grow their own organic food or teaching schoolchildren about art.
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