Cold Tomato Soup with Ricotta Dumplings
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes Vegetables Soups and Stews
A kind of gazpacho.
I was inspired by the famous Spanish cold soup, gazpacho. But instead of using raw tomatoes, I quickly grilled them to release their juice and give them just a hint of charred flavor while still preserving some of the fresh tomato taste. I didn't add bread either, but by draining the juice and adding oil in a thin stream, an emulsion formed that naturally thickened the soup, making it very creamy. I garnished it with some fluffy ricotta dumplings that melt in your mouth. When you don't have time for dumplings, for an even more refreshing effect, you can add cucumber cubes.
Ingredients
Cold Tomato Soup
1.5 kg ripe tomatoes
1 small red onion (about 30g)
1 garlic clove
4-5 tablespoons olive oil (aromatic, fruity)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
salt, black pepper
Ricotta Dumplings
250g ricotta
1 egg
1 egg yolk
50g seasoned Parmesan
15g all-purpose flour
salt, black pepper
Servings: 4 smaller portions
How to prepare cold tomato soup with ricotta dumplings
- Cut the tomatoes into thick rounds (a regular tomato will be cut into about 3-4 slices, after removing a thin slice from where the stem was; if the tomato is smaller, it can be cut in half). Brush the slices with oil.
- Heat a grill pan very high, without adding any fat (about 5 minutes over high heat). Add the tomatoes and grill for about 2 minutes per side. They should soften on the grill, but not so much that they fall apart when you remove them. You can use a spatula to help remove them from the pan.
- Sprinkle each batch of tomatoes with salt, pepper, and drizzle with a little vinegar.
- When you've finished all the tomatoes, let them cool enough to handle. You'll notice they've released a lot of juice during this time - drain it off, it won't be used in the recipe.
- Remove the skin from around the tomatoes - it will come off easily. Put the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse a few times to crush them. Pass the tomatoes through a sieve, leaving only the seeds in the sieve.
- Put the tomato pulp back in the processor, add the finely chopped onion (if the onion is very pungent, sprinkle it with salt first, let it sit for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the juice), crushed garlic, and sugar. Blend at high speed until well combined. Pour in the oil in a thin stream while blending. Adjust salt to taste.
- Refrigerate the soup for several hours to chill well.
- The dumpling dough can be prepared ahead of time, but it's preferable to boil them just shortly before serving - they're more delicate and softer. However, prepared dumplings will keep in the refrigerator, they'll just become firmer.
Put all the dumpling ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a fine batter, like a cream. Transfer to a bowl. - Spread baking paper on your work surface (or baking tray). Sift a layer of flour.
- Using a teaspoon, take some batter. Drag the spoon along the edge of the bowl to level the batter in the spoon. Push the batter off the spoon with your floured finger directly onto the baking paper. Repeat until you have about 40-60 dumplings (count about 10-15 dumplings per serving of soup). The remaining dumplings can be frozen as formed. Sift a little flour over the formed dumplings.
- Put salted water in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low so the water no longer bubbles, otherwise the dumplings will disintegrate. Add dumplings to the water and cook for 1 more minute after they float to the surface. Remove them with a spatula onto a plate. If the dumplings lose their shape when you remove them (they seem very soft, almost dissolving), it means they've cooked too little - just leave them to cook longer.
- Serve the cold soup with ricotta dumplings.
The dumpling mixture
Scoop batter with a level teaspoon
Push off with finger onto floured surface
