Gazpacho with runner bean tempura & pickled coriander seeds

We love the contrast of flavours, textures and temperatures in this gazpacho served with runner bean tempura and pickled coriander seeds. A fabulous starter

Prep:30 mins
Cook:10 mins
plus 2hrs chilling

Serves 6
More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 240
fat 15g
saturates 1g
carbs 21g
sugars 9g
fibre 3g
protein 4g
salt 0.2g

Ingredients

25ml white wine vinegar
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp coriander seeds
1kg tomatoes
200g cucumber, peeled and deseeded
2 tsp capers
2 garlic cloves
1 red chilli, deseeded
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar
150ml vegetable oil
100g runner beans, stringed, cut in half, then sliced lengthways (discarding tough beans from inside)
90g plain flour
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ egg, beaten
200ml ice-cold sparkling water

Method

To make the pickled coriander seeds, put the vinegars in a small pan with the sugar and 25ml water. Bring to the boil, drop in the coriander seeds, turn off the heat and leave to infuse.
To peel the tomatoes, lightly score a cross in the top of each one, place in a large bowl and cover with boiling water for 1 min. Drain and peel. Cut each one into quarters and use a knife to scrape away the seeds. Don’t discard what you remove – sieve out the seeds and use the juice in the next step.
Blitz the tomatoes, cucumber, capers, garlic, chilli and 2 tsp sea salt in a food processor. Pour into a bowl and chill for a couple of hours for the flavours to meld, then add the olive oil and stir. Add 1 tbsp of the sherry vinegar and taste. If it needs more to bring out the flavours, then add another tbsp. Divide between bowls and chill the soup while you make the runner bean tempura.
Pour the vegetable oil into a high-sided saucepan and set over a medium heat to get up to temperature (about 180C) while you make the batter.
To make the batter, put the flour, a pinch of salt and the cumin seeds in a bowl and stir. Add the beaten egg, then pour in the water. Gently stir the mixture, taking care not to over-mix it – a few lumps help give tempura its texture. Test the temperature of the oil by dropping in a little bit of batter. It should bubble and float to the top. If it browns immediately, reduce the heat.
Mix the runner beans into the batter and then fry in batches, removing with a slotted spoon once they’re crisp, golden and just starting to brown. Drain on kitchen paper and season. Top each bowl of soup with some crispy runner beans, and spoon over a little of the drained, pickled coriander seeds.