This recipe was inspired by a raspberry gazpacho that I had at a restaurant in Paris last summer. My goal was to create a soup that heavily featured the strawberries but without being very sweet or tomatoey and to temper it with some other herbs and aromatics. I personally love this soup, but you can decide for yourself. The compote is entirely optional but adds some other nice flavors and chunks of strawberry which were a welcome addition. Before serving, add a dollop of compote to the middle of the soup or mix it throughout. And then eat it with everything you can until it's gone and then make some more. - whatjohnseating —whatsjohneating
This is one of the most interesting dishes I have tried from Food52. The soup itself is very aromatic, with only a hint of sweetness and a nice blend of flavors. Without a doubt, though, the star of the soup is the Strawberry Balsamic Compote. While whatsjohneating states in his recipe description that the compote is optional -- ignore him. It is one of the most flavorful, interesting compotes I have come across and would be wonderful on wild game as well (perhaps with a substitution of raspberries). The compote has a nice juxtaposition of flavors, the onions melding into the sharpness of the balsamic and tempered by the slight sweetness of the berries and hint of sugar. The gazpacho itself is light and refreshing, without being overly sweet or cloying, and the hit of heat from the pepper at the end is a nice lingering surprise. The two together are heaven. Wonderful cold soup for a hot summer day -- paired with a glass of prosecco... perfect! A few notes: I cooked my compote down about 12 minutes, stirring at the end frequently until it had almost a glaze-like consistency. I chilled my soup and compote overnight -- it tempered the spiciness of the pepper a bit. - coffeefoodwritergirl —The Editors
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