GAZPACHO ANDALUZ (Andalusian cold tomato and vegetables soup)

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ (Andalusian cold tomato and vegetables soup)

This is possibly one of the most popular Spanish recipes. Nothing could be more refreshing, in the middle of the hot Spanish summer, than a bowl of gazpacho with some ice cubes in it.

It is said that the recipe goes back to the times of the Romans and the Arabs; however, this is not possible, as both tomatoes and capsicums – two of the most important ingredients in this soup were unknown before the discovery of America.

On the other hand, it is possible that the present gazpacho originated from another cold soup from the Andalusian region, called ajo blanco, or literally “white garlic”,which is a delicious blend of almonds, grapes, garlic, bread, oil and vinegar and eaten mainly in Málaga and Seville.

The traditional gazpacho was made with a mortar and pestle and it was hard work to make it; however, modern blenders have made this task much lighter. Granted that the blended product does not have the same texture as the original one, but you can add some texture through the garnishes…. and anyway, you would need a very large mortar and pestle which would be difficult to find nowadays.

Now, here comes the GAZPACHO basic recipe:

Ingredients:

* 1 and 1/4 kilos of ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
* 1/2 a medium onion, cut into pieces
* 1 medium cucumber (pepino), peeled and cut into chunks
* 1 green capsicum (pimiento verde), seeds removed and cut into pieces
* 250 g day old bread, soaked in water
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons wine o sherry vinegar (vinagre de vino o de jerez)
* cold water
* ice cubes
* To garnish: some small bowls with finely chopped tomatoes, peppers, cucumber and bread cubes , preferably fried in some olive oil

Preparation:

* Place the tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, bread, oil and vinegar in batches in a blender. If the mixture is too thick add some cold water.
* Using a soup tureen or a large bowl, put together the blended mixture.
* Adjust seasonings
* Take the bowl to the fridge and keep it there for a few hours
* Just before serving, add some ice cubes and perhaps a little bit of extra icy cold water if it is too thick.
* Serve together with the garnishes

There are several regional variations according to the garnishes served with the dish.

In Córdoba, it is called salmorejo and they add some hard boiled eggs, chopped and some serrano ham.

In Extremadura, they call it gazpacho extremeño and it is served with pieces of ham.

In modern cuisine, there are some different versions of this cold soup, replacing tomatoes by avocados, cucumbers, grapes and melons. Instead of water, some sparkling wine such as cava is added.

The traditional recipe is delicious, but use your imagination!