Spain · Spain
Gazpacho (Chilled Tomato and Vegetable Soup)
A cold soup of ripe tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic and olive oil blended smooth and served ice-cold.
Gazpacho started with the Andalusian harvest, when field workers had more ripe tomatoes than they could eat and pounded the surplus in a wooden mazo before sitting down to it in the shade. A blender does the same job in seconds, though it leaves a thinner, cleaner soup than the old pounded version. Chilling matters as much as blending, because it is meant to arrive far below room temperature.
Ingredients
- ripe tomatoes, chopped1 kg
- cucumber, peeled and chopped1 pieces
- green pepper, chopped1 pieces
- garlic clove1 pieces
- stale white bread, crusts removed60 g
- extra-virgin olive oil60 ml
- sherry vinegar30 ml
- cold water200 ml
- fine salt1 tsp
Directions
- 1
Soak the bread in water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the excess.
Bread is soft and damp but not dripping. - 2
Blend tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, soaked bread, olive oil and vinegar until very smooth.
Mixture is completely smooth with no visible chunks. - 3
Press through a fine sieve for a silky texture.
Soup flows in a thin, even stream without lumps. - 4
Stir in cold water, season and chill thoroughly before serving.
Soup is ice-cold and tastes bright and fresh.
Source: WorldBite Editorial · WorldBite Proprietary Editorial Content