In fact, 'Andalusian Gazpacho' is a pleonasm. For the origins of this soup of raw vegetables are, yes, Andalusian.
The most widespread theory is that it was a soup of bread, olive oil, water and garlic that arrived in southern Spain with the Moors.
Today, if you're anything like the average northern European arriving in Andalucia, it's that cold soup you first dislike - before you start to love it, can't live without and prepare it for a whole month.
As health drink, soup or dish: you make it according to your taste.
The most modern way to make gazpacho:
There are many modern variations of gazpacho, including adding grapes, watermelon or seafood. Let's stick to the most traditional taste though.
What do you need?
Stale bread, olive oil and vegetables. To be precise: a blender + stale bread + vegetables as tomato, cucumber, onion, bell pepper + garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, water and salt.
How to make it?
1. Wash the vegetables and peel the tomatoes, garlic and onions.
2. Chop all herbs and pound everything in a mortar (traditional method) or purée them in a blender.
3. Add soaked, stale bread (optional)
4. Blend until liquid until you have the desired consistency. Some like it to look as a purée, others as a drink.
5. Ad water, olive oil, salt and vinegar. This is your experimental phase, where you keep adding and stirring until it's up to your taste.
(If you prefer not to purée but to leave some texture, then only start blending now).
6. You can garnish the soup with diced tomatoes or tiny slices of cucumber or other fresh ingredients.
Fun facts about gazpacho
- The word 'gazpacho' is of Arabic origin and means soaked bread.
- The 2 main ingredients, tomatoes and peppers, were only added after the discovery of the New World.
- Gazpacho is so popular it even has its own National Gazpacho Day: December 6th.
But what with the heat, any summer day is Gazpacho Day.
Disfruta!
