This was posted back a few months, when we were having technical difficulties. Now that it’s stupid hot in most of the country, (and we’ve got the technical stuff fixed), I figure it’s a good time to repost.
Gazpacho is often considered a strictly summer dish, although it needn’t be so. A cold, veggie-based soup makes a great side for something heavy like smoked meats, a hot bean dish – anything for which a cool, tart sip would make a nice counterpoint or palate cleanser.
Gazpacho is wholly embraced as Spanish in origin, and may well be, although the roots likely go deeper than that. Rome overran Spain roughly 2,200 years ago, and brought with them, among other things, a gruel or mush made predominantly of bread and oil – and the Latin word ‘caspa,’ a reference to breadcrumbs, and the likely root of ‘gazpacho’. Like all great dishes there are now variants from all over the globe, but the Spanish and Portuguese versions are still the most well known.
The gazpacho you’re likely familiar is Andalusian in origin – that rich orange-red tomato based stuff, redolent of garlic, fresh veggies, and good olive oil. Fact is, this variant didn’t show up until very late in the development of the dish. For literally millennia, it was more likely a close mirror to the original (and relatively boring), Roman version. What made it what it is today is the garlic and almonds from Central Asia, olives from Greece, cucumbers from India, brought to España by the Romans and the Moors. Add tomatoes, tomatillos, avocados and chiles from Mexico and South America hauled home by Spanish and Portuguese conquerors, and that’s the magic that converted the mundane into the sublime.
There are many variations on the central gazpacho theme – Red, green, and white, smooth or chunky, mild or fiery, some more like salsa than soup, and all are delightful. Not all variants are purely veggie based – Everything from almonds to watermelon and green grapes may find their way into the mix. Fish or meat get in there too, as with Mexican gazpacho ceviche, or Portuguese versions loaded with local ham.
Traditionally, whatever is to go in the mix is rough chopped and tossed into a large vessel, then pounded with a mortar, strained, and deseeded. Nowadays, a blender or food processor is more often employed. The old ways are preferred by those who insist that a completely smooth and even consistency is contrary to the spirit of the dish and frankly, and I kind of agree – Enough so to approve of using modern methods, but leaving things a bit more on the rustic side, at any rate.
While the vast majority of gazpachos are served cold, that doesn’t mean that you can’t heat up the ingredients a bit – Roasting, grilling, or broiling veggies intensifies their flavors and deepens sweetness – That can be a thing to try with just an ingredient or two, or the lion’s share, as you please. Gazpacho is a perfect vehicle for home gardens, when you are looking at your yield and wondering what you can do with all that, as well as a great thing to do with stuff that has to get out of the fridge and go to work before it goes bad, (and if things are kind of on their last legs, roasting may be just the ticket.)
Here’s a few basics to get you going, then you should branch out and make them yours.
Gazpacho Andaluz – I’ve been making this version since the late ‘60s, when a Spanish friend of my mom’s showed me the ropes.
4-5 ripe Tomatoes.
1 Cucumber.
1 medium Bell Pepper, (Red, orange, or yellow, as you like, or that needs to get used)
1-3 cloves fresh Garlic.
2 thick slices Bread, (something with a dense crumb, dried out overnight)
1/3 cup extra virgin Olive Oil.
2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar.
1 Cup Vegetable Stock
Fine grind kosher Salt, fresh ground Pepper, and ground Chile to taste.
If you want to roast, grill, or char your veggies, do that first, and then allow them to cool to room temperature.
Remove crusts from bread and toss into a bowl just big enough for the slices. Cover with the veggie stock and allow that to soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
Peel, core, seed and rough chop tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and garlic. Throw all those into a blender or processor and pulse just to get them incorporated.
Grab your bread and squeeze it into a ball as hard as you can.
Pour off the stock into a measuring cup, in case you need some further on in the process.
Crumble the bread back into the bowl, then add the oil and vinegar. Mix well to fully incorporate.
Slowly add the bread/oil/vinegar blend to the veggie mix while pulsing the blender or processor on low until you get the consistency you like – You want a nice, relatively thick soup that will coat a spoon, but you can leave that mix on the rustic side, or go all the way to a purée, as you wish.
If your mix is too thick, thin it out by pulsing in a little more stock.
You can go with the gazpacho as is, or, if you really want things smooth, pour it into a single mesh strainer and carefully force the soup through with your fingers.
Place soup in a glass bowl or container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, taste the gazpacho and then season minimally with salt and pepper. Provide more of those, plus fine ground chiles, at the table.
Serve with additional garnishes that float your boat – Chopped dry cured chorizo, Jamon Iberico, hard-boiled egg, cilantro, diced tomato, cucumber, onion or shallot, chiles or sweet peppers, pico de gallo, celery leaf, chives, fresh mustard greens, any quick pickled veggie blend you like, sour cream or crema, are all wonderful.
Gazpacho Verde
4 large Tomatillos
4 Green Onions (Scallions)
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 English Hothouse Cucumber
2 Green Chiles (New Mexican, anaheim, jalapeño, or serrano – i.e. heat level as you prefer)
2 cloves fresh Garlic
1 Cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cup Avocado Oil
1/4 Cup Veggie Stock
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
2 thick slices Bread, (something with a dense crumb, dried out overnight)
1 fresh Lime
Fine ground Kosher Salt
Freshly ground Pepper
Ground Piment d’Espelette chile
If you want to roast, grill, or char your veggies, do that first, and then allow them to cool to room temperature.
Husk, stem, and quarter tomatillos.
Stem, seed and rough chop pepper and chiles.
smash, peel, trim, and mince garlic.
Trim and rough chop green onions.
Slice cuke in half, deseed, then rough chop.
Zest and juice lime.
Remove crusts from bread and tear into roughly 1” pieces.
In a large, non-reactive mixing bowl, add lime zest, 2 tablespoons juice, the vinegar, the yogurt, and the avocado oil. Whisk until fully incorporated.
Add the tomatillos, green onions, chiles, cuke, garlic, and bread to the mix and stir to thoroughly coat the bread.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
When you’re ready to eat, add the mix to a blender in workable batches and blend until smooth as you prefer – You want a nice, relatively thick soup that will coat a spoon, but you can leave that mix on the rustic side, or go all the way to a purée, as you wish.
Taste the soup and season lightly with salt and pepper. Provide more, and the ground chile, at the table.
Serve with additional garnishes that float your boat – Chopped dry cured chorizo, Jamon Iberico, hard-boiled egg, cilantro, diced tomato, cucumber, onion or shallot, chiles or sweet peppers, pico de gallo, celery leaf, chives, fresh mustard greens, any quick pickled veggie blend you like, sour cream or crema, are all wonderful.
Gazpacho Blanco
1 Cup blanched Marcona Almonds (Must be soaked overnight!)
1 Cup cold Water
1/4 Cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 thick slices Bread, (something with a dense crumb, dried out overnight)
1 Apple (Pink lady, honey crisp, crips pink are good options – You want a really juicy one)
1 clove fresh Garlic
1-2 teaspoons Sherry Vinegar
Fine ground kosher salt
Seedless Green Grapes to garnish
Place almonds in a mixing bowl and cover with at least 2” of fresh water. Allow them to soak overnight.
Pour almonds into a single mesh strainer.
Remove crusts from bread and tear into roughly 1” pieces.
Peel, trim, smash and mince garlic.
Peel, core, and chop apple.
Toss bread into a blender vessel and add the water, making sure the bread is covered. Allow that to soak for 15-20 minutes.
Add almonds, apple, and garlic to the blender vessel.
Pile the mix until thoroughly blended and smooth.
Taste and season lightly with salt and vinegar (add vinegar 1/2 teaspoon at a time).
Add the olive oil in a slow, smooth stream while blending the soup on low.
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving, and up to overnight.
Top with sliced green grapes, if you like, (you will).
UrbanMonique 