Cherry gazpacho with crispy cheese. The best of summer

This cherry gazpacho is one of my favorites every summer since Dani García shared his recipe with me many years ago.

Andalusian gazpacho is probably the most famous cold summer soup. Simple ingredients make it a perfect sports drink for warmer days and prevents dehydration salts and vitamins it contains.

There are also a thousand different versions that add strawberries, watermelon, apple and other fruits lightening the flavor or giving different nuances to this delicious cold soup but this one with cherries is my favorite.

Ingredients

150 g pitted cherries
2 kilos of ripe tomatoes – I used cherry tomatoes with plum tomatoes and regular tomatoes
150 ml extra virgin olive oil –
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 clove of garlic
1 green pepper
1/2 onion
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
50 g Grana Padano cheese in pieces

To accompany

100 g grated Grana Padano
70 g chopped Serrano ham

Directions

Wash the tomatoes. If you use normal tomatoes, remove the top and chop them to add them to the blender (no need to peel them).

Add the garlic from which the central strand is removed so that it does not repeat. Add the chopped cherries, bell pepper and onion. Add the vinegar, oil and salt

Once the ingredients have been well mixed and a creamy texture has been achieved, pass through a sieve to remove any remains that may have remained from the skins and seeds of the tomatoes, etc. Rectify salt.

While we prepare the cheese crisp. Cut a baking paper from the microwave dish. Cover it with grated Grana ^Padano cheese and put it at maximum power in the microwave for 3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Let it cool and then it will be very crispy.

Break the cheese over the gazpacho and accompany with a little chopped Serrano ham