Andalusian Gazpacho Recipe

 

Recently, in the post about how to make croutons, I was referring a little about the new habits that one gets when changing his country. That story was about the fact that I got used to use certain ingredients while living in France. Well, another of new habits that I have acquired here is to go for a picnic very often, as long as the weather is good, of course. Even at work we have organized picnics. They are usually planned this period of the year, just before the holidays and for them I have been always asked to bring gazpacho.

How to make gazpacho

Gazpacho is as easy as putting everything in a blender and mix. The days of making gazpacho with everything very finely chopped are gone. Blend and  you’re done. I am also among those who prefer to pass the gazpacho through a strainer with small holes to get a very fine texture. Moreover, I do not usually add any water, nor onion, nor stale bread to the mixture. The only tricky thing, just a little, it’s to remember the actual amount of dressing that we like for the next time we prepare gazpacho. Besides that, only two things make the gazpacho even better. First, to prepare it in advance, that is, to let it cool in the fridge overnight (do the test and tell me!). Second, to use ingredients of very good quality: some good tomatoes, good olive oil and good vinegar. But the mos important thing is that the tomato have to smell like a tomato.

Andalusian Gazpacho Recipe

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Serves: 4 Time: 15 m Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 kg of vine-ripened tomatoes (6-8 tomatoes), well washed and cut into quarters
• 1 green Italian pepper (50-60 g), washed and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cucumber (100-125 g), peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 large garlic clove (more or less, to taste), peeled, cut in half, and without the germ
• 50 ml extra virgin olive oil (3-4 tablespoons)
• 20 ml sherry vinegar (1-2 tablespoons, more or less, to taste)
• Salt, to taste
• Cold water (optional)
• For accompaniment (optional): 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 Italian green pepper, 1/2 onion, day-old bread, everything cut into small pieces

Directions

1. In a blender, place the tomatoes, garlic, pepper, and cucumber. The order does not matter.
2. Blend until there are no chunks.
3. Add a little cold water if desired. I never usually do.
4. Season with oil, vinegar and salt.
5. Blend for a few seconds to mix well.
6. Test and rectify seasoning, to taste. There will be certainly the need of adding a little more if you added water.
7. Pass the gazpacho through a sieve or food mill, to remove any seeds and skin debris.
8. Let it cool in the fridge overnight in a covered container. I use a glass bottle with a wide lid.
9. Mix well again before serving.
10. Optionally, serve with chopped pepper, cucumber, onion (only a few), stale bread and a few more drops of olive oil.

Hints, Tips, and Tricks

• Tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar have to be of very good quality, if not the gazpacho will not be so good .
• You can soften the taste of the onion by previously macerating it chopped with a splash of white vinegar. After 5-10 min,  rinse it in cold water and finally dry well before serving.
• You could eat the gazpacho as it is cool, but the hours in the fridge really give it more flavor.
• Add a piece of onion weakens the flavor of the gazpacho. I find the gazpacho better without.

 

Categories: gazpacho recipe

Tags: gazpacho