My ultimate Gazpacho recipe for a cool summer

I have to confess that I wasn’t very enthusiast about gazpacho until recently; despite its popularity I just couldn’t understand the hype about it. I would have to add that my experience was limited to the buy-at-the-store versions.
 
But this summer the heat hit quite strong and was calling for refreshing foods.  Then (perfect timing) I had the opportunity to taste a fantastic, homemade organic gazpacho and I just fall in love with it. Now I understood the greatness of this amazing yet simple cold tomato soup: healthy, delicious and very nutritious. Oh, did I mention that it’s also vegan?

After my “wow” moment at the restaurant and “how is it possible that I’ve been missing this for such a long time” I knew I had to make it back at home. I was ready to prepare the “classic” recipe, but I realized that I was missing some of the ingredients, and that some others might be a bit too strong for me and would rather adapt to my palate.  Considering that my stomach was already protesting and ready to get some food in, let’s just say that I kind of improvised and created my own version of gazpacho.

The traditional recipe for this classic Spanish soup uses green pepper, garlic and bread. Believe or not, I had run out of green pepper, and regarding the garlic, I find it too strong just to eat it raw. Therefore, I substituted the green pepper with celery, as it also adds that “something” flavour (unlike red pepper which has quite a different taste). Instead of the strong (at least for me) raw claw of garlic, I used green garlic, softer in taste. The bread is used for garnish as croutons, but I simply prefer eating the gluten-free bread as it is and sincerely, I didn’t feel any need to add bread to this recipe — I’ve sometimes seen some gluten-free croutons at the stores though; if I get to find them again (and before the arrival of the new colder season) I might give it a try --

Though at first I wasn’t very sure that I could excel the fantastic gazpacho from the restaurant, it turned out to be an impressive turn and mouth watering. I knew I had to share it with you (and make some much more for the rest of endless days of summer).
 

I would also like to add that the quality of the fresh ingredients has a high impact on the recipe’s result. I have tried it several times with organic and non-organic ingredients and I definitely could taste the difference.  On a personal note, as this recipe uses fresh and raw vegetables, I prefer using organic ingredients when possible, because the difference in taste is noticeable.
 
Enjoy this (my) version of the gazpacho cold soup! Perfect for summer time and warm weather.
 

Ingredients

1 big tomato
1/4 of finely chopped cucumber
1 teaspoon of finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped green garlic
Extra virgin olive oil – very important
Sherry vinegar
Cold water (from the fridge)
Salt & pepper (to your liking)

(This all transformed in approx. 200ml of gazpacho)

Instructions

P

1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and blend using a food processor or blender.  —Yes it’s that easy!
2. To ensure the mouth-watering effect, let it cool down a couple hours in the fridge, as it has to be served as cold as possible. Gazpacho has traditionally been served in an earthenware casserole, as they are known to maintain the temperature of the dish.
3. You can use croutons, finely chopped onion, chopped tomatoes and chopped green pepper or a drizzle of olive oil as garnishment. Just serve them on a separate dish so they can be added as per each one’s personal preference.

Notes: I cleaned and peeled off the tomatoes and pepper prior to their use in the blend. If you will use a strainer after the blending, you can skip this step.
 
When I indicate a spoon as a measurement, I literally mean a spoon from the silverware.

Additional Information

• Traditional andalusian gazpacho recipe – Directo al Paladar (Spanish)
• The cuisine of Andalusia – Spain Info
• A walk along the shores of the best beaches in Andalusia – Andalucia.org
• Andalusian cuisine & Olive oil – Andalucia.org

Pin it:

You might also like:

Gluten-Free Paris: An essential guide

Oeufs mimosa recipe

Views from the road: a close-up to northern Spain