This is a completely modern take on a caprese salad. Sure, you could slice some ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, layer them on a plate with basil, and drizzle with olive oil, but why oh why would you do that when you can take a traditional caprese salad to the next level?
Enter the mozzarella caprese gazpacho.
What Is Gazpacho?
Gazpacho refers to any cold soup made up of raw, blended ingredients.
Here, we took our favorite components from a caprese — tomatoes— and processed them with high quality extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, a splash of vinegar, and fresh basil to turn them into a delicious summer gazpacho!
Basil Oil
You could eat the caprese gazpacho as is, but we’re topping ours with with a homemade basil oil. It’s beyond simple to make.
- Place fresh basil leaves in the bowl of a food processor with blade attachment affixed, then process while slowly drizzling in olive oil.
This will sit until you’re ready to strain it and serve on top of the gazpacho. We told you – easy!!
To Assemble
- Pour the strained heirloom tomato sauce into a shallow serving bowl or dish.
- Next, take a large ball of fresh mozzarella and pull it with your hands into bite size pieces. Place them directly on top of the gazpacho.
- Finally, drizzle caprese gazpacho generously with basil oil.
Note: if your fresh mozzarella is NOT salted, you’ll probably want to sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top. No regrets!
You could stop now, but…. why not add a few fresh basil leaves?
What to Serve With Caprese Gazpacho
Crust bread!! Forever and always.
You’ll definitely want to serve this with a big ol’ piece of crusty bread for sopping up that delicious heirloom tomato soup. Beyond that, you could enjoy this alongside a quick charcuterie board or a big arugula salad.
Wine Pairings!
As part of my Date Night In series, I’m offering up a few wine suggestions to serve alongside. Because the tomatoes are kept raw in this preparation (read: higher acidity than if they were cooked), you’re going to want to stick with wines that mirror that (aka: have a higher acidity).
Red wine: light-bodied reds, such as Gamay, Cinsault, or a lighter Pinot Noir
Rosé: I can vouch from personal experience that Wolffer Estate rosés pair beautifully! My favorite is their Summer in a Bottle, but the Finca and Estate rosés are also wonderful. Again, look for something with a fair amount of acidity.
White wine: Sancerre (one of our all-the-time go to wines!), Chablis, or Riesling would be great.
If you make this Mozzarella Caprese, let us know by leaving a rating and review below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! DON’T FORGET to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio !!
For more date night worthy meals, check out the following recipes:
- Date night polenta with roasted mushrooms and shallots
- Salmon piccata
- Phyllo-wrapped feta cheese with truffle honey
- Whole30 butternut squash with za’atar and lemon tahini sauce
- Whole30 anchovy chicken
- Marinated soy sauce eggs (shoyu tamago) with sticky rice
Mozzarella Caprese Gazpacho
Equipment
- Fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs heirloom tomatoes (2-3 large tomatoes)
- ½ Tbsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup packed basil leaves divided
- 6-8 oz fresh mozzarella
- flaky sea salt for serving
- crusty bread for serving
Instructions
To make gazpacho
- Remove the core of each tomato with a paring knife and discard, then cut the rest of each tomato into large chunks. Place into the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment.
- To the food processor, add salt and pepper, then pulse until a somewhat chunky, somewhat smooth mixture forms — about 10 quick pulses.
- Remove the lid, add ¼ cup packed basil and white wine vinegar to the bowl, then return the lid and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in ⅓ – ½ cup olive oil. You don't want the gazpacho to be too thin, so once it's combined, turn off the processor.
- Place a fine mesh sieve under a large bowl, then pour the tomato mixture into the sieve. Use a rubber spatula to push the sauce through, leaving behind only the pulp and small bits of basil (discard). If not using right away, cover the soup with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until serving.
To make basil oil
- Meanwhile, make a quick basil olive oil. Rinse the bowl of the food processor with water, then shake any excess liquid out. Add 1 cup packed basil leaves to the bowl fitted with blade attachment, then process until finely chopped. With the processor running, drizzle in ¼ cup olive oil. Once again, place your fine mesh sieve on top of a bowl, then strain basil oil. Set aside.
To assemble
- Divide tomato gazpacho into shallow bowls. Tear fresh mozzarella with hands into small, bite-size pieces, then place directly on top of sauce. Use a spoon to drizzle a small amount of basil oil back and forth over the top of the dish.
- Optional: sprinkle some flaky sea salt on top of each piece of mozzarella. Serve gazpacho with crusty toasted bread.
Notes
- Caprese gazpacho can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in a refrigerator in an airtight container.
- For this recipe, fresh mozzarella is best (versus shredded or grated cheese). Other soft cheese will work, but we’re going for that classic caprese flavor profile!
- To freeze: place gazpacho in an airtight freezer-safe container, then freeze until solid. Gazpacho will keep in freezer for up to 6 months.
- To reheat from frozen: place container in a refrigerator to slowly thaw overnight.
Tried it today and can’t give enough “stars” to this recipe 😁 easy and super delicious. The vinegar adds the extra touch that perfectly balance this gazpacho!
Hugs!
THRILLED that you love this as much as we do! A perfect way to highlight those beautiful summer tomatoes! xo, Ari