Andalusian Gazpacho

About This Recipe

Gazpacho originated in Andalusia as a peasant dish made by field workers pounding stale bread with olive oil, garlic, salt and vinegar. Tomatoes were added after Columbus brought them from the Americas. Today it's one of Spain's most celebrated dishes — a cold, vibrant, vegetable-packed soup that requires no cooking whatsoever.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgripe tomatoes(at room temperature)
• 1cucumber(peeled, deseeded)
• 1green pepper(deseeded)
• 1/2small red onion
• 2garlic cloves
• 100 mlextra virgin olive oil(plus more to finish)
• 3 tbspsherry vinegar(or red wine vinegar)
• 80 gstale white bread(crust removed, soaked in water)
• 1 tspflaky salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables

   Quarter tomatoes. Roughly chop cucumber, pepper and onion. Place all vegetables in a blender or food processor.

2. 2

   Blend

   Squeeze water from the bread. Add bread, garlic, vinegar and salt to the blender. Blend on high for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth.

3. 3

   Emulsify with olive oil

   With the blender running on medium, slowly drizzle in olive oil through the spout. This emulsifies the oil into the soup, creating a silky, slightly creamy texture.

   The tomatoes must be at room temperature — cold tomatoes have less flavour and the oil won't emulsify.

4. 4

   Season and chill

   Taste for salt, vinegar and seasoning. Pass through a fine sieve for a silky result (optional for a more rustic version). Chill for minimum 2 hours — ideally overnight. The flavour intensifies remarkably.

5. 5

   Serve

   Pour into chilled bowls. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with diced cucumber, tomato, croutons and a few drops of sherry vinegar.

Variations

• •

  Salmorejo: Córdoba's thicker, richer version made with only tomatoes, bread, olive oil and garlic — no cucumber or pepper.

• •

  White gazpacho (Ajo Blanco): made with almonds, garlic, bread and grapes.

Storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. Stir before serving as it separates slightly.

Frequently Asked Questions