Spanish

Andalusian gazpacho

Name: Andalusian gazpacho
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1000 g very ripe tomatoes (in-season); 150 g cucumber (peeled); 100 g green bell pepper (deseeded, ideally an Italian frying pepper); 1 garlic clove; 60 g stale white bread (crusts removed); 25 ml sherry vinegar (or 1.6 tbsp); 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil (a good Spanish one, or 5 tbsp); 1 tsp fine salt; 150 ml ice-cold water; sugar (1 pinch, optional, to balance the acidity)

Andalusian cold soup made with very ripe tomatoes, sherry vinegar and emulsified olive oil. Served very cold.

Prep: 45 min
Cook: —
Total: 45 min
Level: Easy

A bowl of red-orange gazpacho with a drizzle of olive oil and a brunoise of vegetables on top

Tips

Tomatoes are everything: very ripe and in-season (ox-heart, San Marzano, or good ripe vine tomatoes packed with flavour).
Macerating with salt and sugar is the step most people skip. 30 minutes at room temperature draws out the juices and changes everything.
Emulsifying the oil in a thin stream with the blender running on medium gives the velvety texture of top-tier restaurant gazpacho.
Pass through a fine chinois for very smooth texture, or skip this step for a more rustic gazpacho.
Cold dulls seasoning: taste and adjust salt and vinegar just before serving. Always start with less and build up, you can add but you can't take away.
Classic garnishes: finely diced cucumber, pepper and tomato, croutons, chopped hard-boiled egg, or slivers of serrano ham. Andalusian touch: a small pinch of ground cumin blended in with everything else.
Lighter version: without bread. Keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge, often even better the next day.

Method

Roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper and garlic. No need to peel the tomatoes if you'll strain the soup later. Tip everything into a large bowl.
Macerate: toss the vegetables with the salt and, if you like, the pinch of sugar. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This is the step that draws out the juices, and it's the single biggest flavour upgrade most people skip.
Soak the bread: tear the bread into pieces and bury it in the macerated vegetables so it soaks up the released juices and softens completely. The bread gives body and helps the emulsion.
Blend: tip everything into a high-speed blender (vegetables, soaked bread and all the juices). Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth and slightly frothy.
Emulsify the oil: with the blender on medium, drizzle in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. The soup turns creamy and takes on a pale orange tone. That emulsion is what gives gazpacho its velvety body.
Season and adjust: add the sherry vinegar and just enough ice-cold water to reach the consistency you want (pourable but not watery). Blend briefly, taste, and adjust salt and vinegar.
Strain: pass the gazpacho through a fine chinois or very fine sieve, pressing with a ladle to push everything through and leaving skins and seeds behind. Skip this step if you like a bit of texture.
Chill: refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 4 or more. Gazpacho must be served very cold, and the flavours deepen as it rests.
Serve: cold dulls seasoning, so taste one last time and probably add a touch more salt or a splash of vinegar. Serve in bowls or glasses with a drizzle of olive oil and your chosen garnishes.