Gazpacho Andaluz (Andalusian Chilled Tomato Soup)

In my previous post, I shared the recipe for Spanish Tortilla, one of Spain's most versatile and iconic dishes and an all-time personal favorite of mine. Today I want to follow it up with one of Spain's favorite summer dishes, the Gazpacho. 

Just like revenge, Gazpacho is a dish best served cold--and on a hot summer day, it tastes just as satisfying. It's a bright, filling soup built from fresh veggies rich with vitamins and antioxidants that are in peak season during the summer. The best part? It's a no-cook recipe, so you won't be toiling over a hot stove when your craving hits. Plus it's low in calories and high in fiber. It's a perfect summer dish.

Like Spanish Tortilla, Spaniards enjoy Gazpacho throughout the day--for breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. It makes a great first course for lunch or dinner, served in a bowl with a spoon. When poured it into shot glasses, gazpacho is a bright, yummy addition to your repertoire of cocktail party bites. It's also common in Spain to serve it in a mug or cup, to drink and enjoy as a refreshing and nutritious mid-afternoon snack. I personally love gazpacho for breakfast or brunch, with a side of Spanish Tortilla. 

There are many versions of Gazpacho out there, but my recipe is inspired by Gazpacho Andaluz--the OG of gazpacho recipes. 

Authentic Andalusian Gazpacho calls for fresh garlic. I've tasted fusion-style versions at several U.S. restaurants, where horseradish or (*clutching my pearls*) jalapenos were used to achieve gazpacho's signature spicy kick. For the record, as a native Spaniard, I will fight you if you try to convince me that a gazpacho spiced up with anything other than fresh garlic is actually a gazpacho.

And now that I've gotten that out of my system, I invite you to read on for my go-to Gazpacho recipe.

GATHER AND PREP YOUR INGREDIENTS

For 4 to 6 first course/appetizer servings you will need:

🔲 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes (preferably Cento, or any other brand that uses San Marzano tomatoes)
🔲 1 medium cucumber, peeled
🔲 1 small red or yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
🔲 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled
🔲 Red wine vinegar
🔲 Olive oil, the best you can find
🔲 Kosher salt, to taste
🔲 1 red bell pepper
🔲 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin spice 
🔲 Small-diced bell pepper and chopped cilantro for garnish (optional) 

 PANTRY QUEEN TIP 

Gazpacho is a no-cook dish, which means your ingredients will have nowhere to hide if they're not great quality. This is especially true for the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil you use, as they're the front-and-center ingredients in this recipe. If you can find the freshest garlic at your local farmers market, this is where you will want to use it.

While the traditional recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, I use canned Cento tomatoes (or any other brand that uses San Marzano tomatoes). San Marzano tomatoes are grown in Italy under the sun, and harvested consistently at their sweetest, peak ripeness. By contrast, U.S. grocery store tomatoes, especially depending on the season, may be grown in hothouses, and harvested well before they ripen to withstand being transported long distances. As result, our average grocery store tomatoes here in the U.S, even if organically grown, can taste terribly bland (and therefore, so will your gazpacho). As a bonus, canned tomatoes require no prep or peeling, significantly reducing the effort and time that goes into making this dish--without sacrificing any of the deliciousness. So even if you have access to fresh, locally grown organic tomatoes, it's totally okay to use canned (whole) San Marzanos for this recipe.

For best results with my recipe, you will need:

🔲 A blender

If you don't have a blender, a hand-held immersion blender will also work.

GET COOKING

Mince the garlic. Large-dice the cucumber and one bell pepper (red or yellow). 

Pour the canned tomatoes in the blender, then the minced garlic and the ground cumin spice.

Next, add the diced bell pepper and the diced cucumber.

Incorporate a generous glug of red wine vinegar. 

Turn your blender on and use the "pulse" setting, until the contents are fully blended and reach a chunky consistency similar to the photo below.

Add salt, then stir everything with a spoon and taste for flavor and acidity. Adjust as necessary adding more salt, garlic, cumin and/or vinegar according to your own preference until you love it.

 PANTRY QUEEN TIP 

For the proportions of this recipe, I start with about 1/3 teaspoon of kosher salt--it's always a lot easier to add salt (or garlic or cumin or vinegar) than it is to subtract.

Once the flavoring hits just right for your palate, flip your blender back on, using the low speed setting. 

Blend just long enough to smooth out the texture. 

With the blender still running (low speed), add a thin drip of olive oil to emulsify the mix. Preferably, a robust and herbaceous extra virgin olive oil, but any good EVOO will work. 

This is the precise moment when the magic happens.

 PANTRY QUEEN TIP  

Without the olive oil, gazpacho is just a lame salsa or, at best, an odd but savory tomato smoothie. Think of olive oil as the transforming element, the source of the alchemy. Your blender is the magic wand that emulsifies it. And that, by default, makes you the sorcerer.

Taste again and make any final adjustments as necessary, so that it's perfectly balanced according to your personal taste. 

Chill it to perfection in the fridge for a minimum 2 hours before serving.

OPTIONAL STEP: While the gazpacho chills, fine-dice some bell pepper and roughly chop a couple sprigs of cilantro or parsley to serve as garnish.

Finish your presentation with a drizzle of the bomb extra virgin olive oil you used earlier.

Well done. The only step remaining now is to wish you "Buen provecho"--that's Spanish for "Enjoy!"

STORAGE: Gazpacho can be kept refrigerated for up to one week, but if/when you hit that flavor balance just right, it'll be gone much faster than that. I don't recommend freezing it.