Fermented Gazpacho with Whipped Feta Toasts

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OcadoLife

4 serving

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 4

Deliciously refreshing, Fermented Gazpacho with Whipped Feta Toasts is a twist on the classic Spanish chilled soup featuring tomatoes, cooling cucumber and a vinegary punch. Created by chef and fermentation pro Nena Foster, this version is richer and deeper in flavour, and packed full of nutrients and probiotics. Gut-friendly, wallet-friendly – and without the whipped feta toasts it’s vegan-friendly too!

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

600g cherry tomatoes, rinsed
2 garlic cloves, halved
4 salad onions, 1 trimmed and halved, 3 trimmed and roughly chopped
5 green or black peppercorns
1 handful flat-leaf parsley
20g sea salt, plus a pinch
1 cucumber, 200g roughly chopped, plus extra diced, to serve
2 roasted red peppers (from a jar), diced
25ml sherry vinegar, plus extra to taste
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tsp and extra to serve
200g feta, crumbled
50g greek yoghurt or kefir
1 lemon, zested
2 red or green chillies, ½ deseeded and roughly chopped, ½ finely sliced
4 slices of sourdough, toasted

Method

Step 1

For the fermented tomatoes, put the tomatoes, garlic, 1 halved salad onion, peppercorns and parsley in a 1L glass preserving jar. Make a brine by dissolving 20g sea salt in 100ml freshly boiled water, then top up with 400ml cooled boiled water. When tepid, pour into the jar. Place a small clean ramekin on top of the tomatoes to keep them submerged, then seal the jar. Leave at room temperature for 7-10 days, away from direct sunlight. To release the natural gas, ‘burp’ the jar daily by briefly flipping the latch or loosening the lid, then tightening it again. When ready, the brine will be fizzy and the fermented tomatoes soft and tangy. Strain; reserve the brine.

Step 2

To make the gazpacho, put the fermented tomatoes (and other fermented ingredients) into a blender along with 1 of the chopped salad onions, the cucumber, red peppers, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, 100ml of the reserved brine and a good pinch of sea salt; blitz until smooth

Step 3

Strain through a sieve into a jug, then add the pulp back into the blender with 2-3tbsp brine and blitz again. Strain back into the jug, stir, then taste and adjust the flavour with more vinegar, brine/salt or pepper as needed. Chill for at least 1 hr.

Step 4

For the whipped feta, blitz the feta, greek yoghurt, lemon zest, 1tsp olive oil, chopped chilli and remaining 2 chopped salad onions in a blender until smooth. Spread on the toast; garnish with the sliced chilli.