A classic Mediterranean cold soup
Andalusia is in southern Spain, and they know a thing or two about high temperatures down there! We know it’s not Catalan, but – as is the case with most of our recipes – it’s Mediterranean, and all the ingredients are easily found here on the Costa Brava and beyond. It’s simple to prepare and takes just 15 to 20 minutes.
There are probably as many gazpacho recipes as there are Spanish households, each with its own personal touches and ingredient variations according to taste, region, or season. But the one thing they all have in common is that the tomato is the star ingredient. For the best flavour and nutritional value, always use fresh, organically grown tomatoes.
A bit of history
A kind of proto-gazpacho was already being made centuries ago in al-Andalus, using bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and water. But once tomatoes and peppers arrived from the New World, the recipe evolved into the gazpacho we know and love today.
Healthy & easy to make
Gazpacho is cheap to make, very nutritious, and wonderfully refreshing on hot days. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C (from the peppers), vitamins A and E, as well as phosphorus, iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and sodium. It’s low in calories, rich in antioxidants like lycopene (the red pigment in tomatoes), and contains fibre, making it both cleansing and diuretic.
Ingredients:
- 1kg of well-ripe red tomatoes, preferably organic
- 1 small to medium green pepper
- 100 ml EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- 30 ml Jerez vinegar (or other vinegar if you prefer – but Jerez is from Andalucia!)
- One small to medium onion, or a couple of shallots
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic (or as many or as few as you like – or none if you prefer!)
- 1 cucumber
- Salt (optional)
- Bread – the equivalent of about one slice from a sliced pan (see below)
- Suggestions for the garnish: a couple of cherry tomatoes, and set aside a little of the green pepper, cucumber, and shallot or onion (chopped into small pieces)
Preparation:
‘Pain perdu’ (‘lost bread’), as the French call stale bread, is perfect for this recipe. Tear the bread into smaller pieces and place them in a bowl with a bit of water. Let it soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
If you are coeliac, we suggest using gluten-free bread rather than leaving the bread out entirely, as it helps give the gazpacho its proper texture and consistency.
- Wash the tomatoes, pepper and cucumber.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters, removing the stems.
- Cut the ends off the cucumber and chop it into a few pieces.
- Peel and chop the onion and cloves of garlic.
- Remove the pit from the green pepper and chop roughly.
- Place all the ingredients into a blender, including the bread.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, Jerez vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend until you have a liquid sauce.
- If you like, you can pass the liquid through a strainer to make it as fine as possible, but this is unnecessary and would defeat the purpose of the bread.
- Taste, and add a little more salt if desired.
- Place your ‘soup’ in the fridge and let it cool for a couple of hours. That’s basically it. You’ve just made gazpacho!
Serving tips
Gazpacho can be served in a deep dish or bowl, or even sipped from a glass. It’s sometimes paired with a slice or two of acorn-fed Jamón Ibérico or with fresh mozzarella. For garnish, you can add a little of the green pepper, onion, or shallot you set aside earlier, finely diced. Cherry tomatoes (halved) or even a sprig of mint on top are also popular options.
If you’re planning to keep your gazpacho in the fridge and serve it later, it’s best not to add the vinegar during blending. It can oxidise and give a metallic taste over time. Instead, add the vinegar – or a splash of lemon juice – just before serving.