Andalusian Gazpacho Recipe

Gazpacho is one of my favourite dishes from Spain. Extremely healthy, refreshing and full of vitamins and energy. This is a quick dish, whether for yourself, a bunch with friends or your family.

Some people call gazpacho a soup, others a drink, but either way it is fresh, smooth and delicious.

I have added three recipes for you –

1 – The original Gazpacho from Andalusia

2 – A salad version. I have one American friend who doesn’t like the cold soup concept, so I have created a deconstructed gazpacho, to enjoy as a started or a slde dish.

3 – And Salmorejo, a thicker, heavier version – full of carbs from as it contains lots of bread, but is delicious after an energetic run, a day spent kite surfing or a heavy workout.

Total Time: 15 Minutes.
Always add some ice at the end to cool you down on a summers day or chill for 1/2 hour before serving.

INGREDIENTS FOR GAZPACHO ANDALUZ:

• 1 kg ripe, very red tomatoes, washed and quartered

• 1 green pepper, washed, de-seeded & cut into 4 or 5 pieces

• 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 4 or 5 pieces

• 1 white onion (around 100 grams), peeled and cut into 4 pieces 1 slice of bread (about 50 grams)

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

• 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon of salt

PREPARATION

Cut the bread into pieces and put them into your blender. Add the tomatoes, pepper, garlic and onion. Add the salt, oil and vinegar/ or lemon to taste. Blend and taste, adjusting the salt and vinegar to your liking. If the gazpacho is too thick, add small amounts of cold water, or add some ice and let it defrost.  To finish add some diced cucumber to get a bit of crunch, and you can also serve with chopped boiled egg, an excellent way to add protein.

Summer Gazpacho Salad

A chunkier version of gazpacho, this summery salad is filled with juicy tomatoes, sweet red peppers, and crunchy cucumbers.

Servings: 4

PREPARATION

• 1 small red onion diced

• 3 lbs tomatoes diced

• 1 cucumber,  diced (no need to peel to taste)

• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced

• 3 tablespoons vinegar, or lemon (if you have sherry vinegar that is a plus)

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix and diced vegetables and toss well with the olive oil, the vinegar or lemon to taste. Season with salt.

Chill the salad the refrigerator for at least 1-1/2 hours and up to 4 hours to allow the flavours to marry.

Salmorejo

Salmorejo is a thicker, more filling dish. Like gazpacho, it is served cold and combines tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, but it is heavier on the bread-side and is usually liberally garnished with chopped hard-boiled eggs and strips of Serrano ham.

INGREDIENTS FOR SALMOREJO (SERVES 5-6 PEOPLE):

Same ingredients as the gazpacho  plus 200 grams of hard bread (best to use a type with a very fine white bread crust)

PREPARATION

Follow the recipe for the gazpacho but add  the bread in pieces into the blender to make it thicker.