This gazpacho recipe is easy, refreshing, filling, and nutritious! Perfect for Summer!
There are tons of gazpacho recipes: with or without bread, with or without onion, with more or less cucumber… I like this recipe that I have been cooking since my years at Uni because it is tasty, easy, cheap, quick and real. Well, we always say the recipe is the ultimate “authentic” recipe of whatever but in this case, I learnt the recipe from my friend Jorge, from Andalucía. So, I guess it´s quite authentic, right?
I know that the idea of a cold soup puts some people off. It is difficult to translate the concept of gazpacho (or salmorejo, ajo blanco… or any of the other different versions of this dish that you can find in Andalucia and now anywhere in Spain in Summer). As you eat it in a bowl with a spoon, then it is soup. But if it is cold… is it soup? I always say that gazpacho is more of a tomato smoothie as you blend vegetables to create a smooth texture with all those flavours together. So, if you don’t like the idea of having a cold soup, think of a cold smoothie based on tomato (or in a Bloody Mary without vodka! hahaha!).
Some recommendations
- I recommend you use ripe tomatoes as they have more flavour and more red colour. Buy them a couple of days before making the gazpacho and let them get soft and red out of the fridge. This is important to get the most flavour and colour from the tomatoes.
- Be cautious with the garlic. I put a clove of garlic, small-medium size. You always can put more if you like a more strong garlicky flavour, but… it´s difficult the other way around.
- You will find other gazpacho recipes that call for bread. If you want to add a bit more texture and a slightly thicker, that´s perfect. But I like a runny gazpacho that you almost can drink. If you want to add some bread, I recommend you use some stale bread and soak it with the vinegar and extra virgin olive oil you are going to use in the recipe.
Anyway, try this gazpacho recipe and you will feel transported to Spain. Just imagine you are there, enjoying the sun and this delicious dish with a glass of sherry. Also, it´s a quite cheap dish as you can make 6 portions for less than £5.
Gazpacho recipe
Equipment
- Food processor
- Pan
- Saucepan
- Bowl
- Knife
- Chopping board
Ingredients
- 750 g tomato
- ½ green bell pepper
- 50 g cucumber
- 1 clove garlic
- 45 g sherry vinegar
- 90 g olive oil extra virgin
- 5 g salt
- 2 eggs
- 30 g serrano ham
Instructions
- Put a saucepan with water to boil. Add the eggs and cook for 10 minutes until a hard boil. Remove from the water and cool down under cold running water. Set aside in a bowl.
- Prepare the pepper and cucumber. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and chop in chunks. Peel the cucumber and cut in chunks too. Peel the garlic.
- Wash the tomatoes. With a sharp knife, make a superficial cross on the bottom of each one. Put them in a pan and cover them with boiling water. Keep them covered in the water for a minute or until you see the skin starts to peel off.
- Remove the tomatoes to a bowl with cold water and ice. Let them cool down for 5 minutes and peel.
- Cut the tomatoes in quarters and put them in a food processor. Add the cucumber, green pepper, and garlic. Season with salt and blend.
- Add the sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and blend again. Taste to correct the seasoning. If the mix is too thick, add a bit of water and blend again until you have a smooth texture. Keep in the fridge until serving.
- Peel the eggs and chop finely. Cut the serrano ham in small portions. Serve the gazpacho in individual bowls and dress with a bit of boiled egg, serrano ham bits, and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
