Gazpacho

About This Recipe

Gazpacho is the quintessential dish of Andalusian summer — a soup that requires no cooking, celebrates the season's finest tomatoes and delivers extraordinary refreshment. At its most authentic, it is a simple emulsion of raw vegetables blended with excellent olive oil, sherry vinegar and good bread, then chilled until icy cold. The quality of the tomatoes is everything — gazpacho made with vine-ripened tomatoes in August and gazpacho made with supermarket tomatoes in January are barely the same dish. Served with a selection of finely chopped garnishes — cucumber, pepper, hard-boiled egg, croutons — it is a feast of textures and the taste of southern Spain.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgvery ripe vine tomatoes(roughly chopped)
• 1 mediumcucumber(peeled, half reserved for garnish)
• 1 mediumred bell pepper(half reserved for garnish)
• 0.5green bell pepper
• 2 clovesgarlic(peeled)
• 1 sliceday-old white bread(crust removed, soaked in water)
• 6 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil(best quality)
• 2 tablespoonssherry vinegar(or red wine vinegar)
• 1 teaspoonfine salt
• 0.25 teaspoonblack pepper
• 100 mlice-cold water(adjust to desired consistency)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blend the vegetables

   Combine the tomatoes, half the cucumber (roughly chopped), green pepper, half the red pepper, garlic and soaked bread in a blender. Blend on high speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth.

   Blend in batches if your blender is small — do not fill it more than two-thirds.

2. 2

   Add olive oil and vinegar

   With the blender running on medium speed, drizzle in the olive oil slowly to emulsify, then add the sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Blend for another 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Strain and chill

   Pass the gazpacho through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Stir in the ice-cold water to reach your desired consistency. Transfer to a jug, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (4 hours is better).

4. 4

   Prepare garnishes and serve

   Finely dice the reserved cucumber and red pepper. Serve the gazpacho ice-cold in bowls or glasses, with the diced vegetables alongside plus croutons and a drizzle of olive oil over the top.

Variations

• •

  White gazpacho (ajo blanco): blend blanched almonds, white grapes, soaked bread, garlic, olive oil and sherry vinegar — serve with green grapes.

• •

  Watermelon gazpacho: replace 300g of tomatoes with seedless watermelon for a sweeter, more summery version.

• •

  Roast the tomatoes and peppers for 20 minutes at 200°C before blending for a deeper, sweeter flavour.

Storage

Gazpacho keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days. Stir or shake before serving as it may separate slightly. Do not freeze — the emulsion breaks on thawing.

Frequently Asked Questions