Roast tomato gazpacho with crispy beans & pesto

There are few better ways to enjoy fresh tomatoes than in a bowl of gazpacho. I make the crispy beans all the time as a topping for salads, soups and even granola (yes, really!). From Beans by Ali Honour

Roast tomato gazpacho with crispy beans & pesto

SERVES

4

PEOPLE

PREP TIME

30

MINUTES

COOKING TIME

45

MINUTES

Ingredients

  • 1kg (2¼lb) vine-ripened tomatoes, kept whole and on the vine

  • 1 medium onion, unpeeled and quartered

  • 4 garlic cloves, left whole and unpeeled

  • a handful of fresh herbs, such as thyme or oregano

  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 500ml (2 cups + 4 tsp) water (or as needed)

  • freshly ground black pepper

  • FOR THE CRISPY

  • BEANS:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 200g (1 cup) cooked beans (butter beans, cannellini, fava, haricots, Carlin peas or brown lentils all work well)

  • FOR THE HERB STALK PESTO:

  • 20g (¾oz) fresh herb stalks (basil and/or parsley, though a few bits of rocket work too)

  • 1 garlic clove (optional)

  • 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil

  • juice of ½ lemon (or a little water)

  • 1 tbsp toasted nuts or seeds (pumpkin or sunflower)

  • ½ tsp sea salt

  •  

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

  2. To make the gazpacho

  3. Put the whole tomatoes on the vine, the quartered onion, unpeeled garlic cloves and herbs on a baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt, then roast in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and slightly caramelised.

  4. Remove and discard the onion skins, then pop the roasted onion into a blender. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins and add it to the blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, water and any juices that have collected on the baking tray.

  5. Blend until smooth. It will be thick, so add more water if needed to get it to the consistency you want. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

  6. Meanwhile, to make the crispy beans

  7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the beans and cook for 5–7 minutes, until they are all crispy and golden. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. (Or you can cook them in an air fryer on high

  8. for 4–6 minutes with no oil.)

  9. To make the pesto

  10. Put everything in a blender and blitz until combined but still with a bit of texture.

  11. To serve, pour the soup into bowls. Top each one with crispy beans, then drizzle with the herb stalk pesto and an extra swirl of oil.

  12. try this

  13. Instead of serving this as a cold gazpacho, you could heat the soup and use it as a sauce for pasta or fish.

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