Gazpacho Andaluz

Spain’s most popular summer soup, gazpacho Andaluz, is often drunk like a drink or smoothie. This cold, healthy, veggie-packed soup is cool and refreshing, perfect for hot summer days.

What is gazpacho Andaluz?

Gazpacho Andaluz is a Spanish vegan-friendly cold soup made from fresh vegetables, garlic, vinegar, and oil. It’s served cold in small bowls or glasses, usually as an appetizer before your meal. It can also be eaten as a light meal, though, or as a palate cleanser between or after main dishes. You can eat it with a spoon like a soup, or drink it like a smoothie.

Gazpacho Andaluz, as its name implies, finds its origin in the Andalusian region of Spain. It was thought to have been made as a way to use up stale bread that had hardened. The first versions didn’t have the same ingredients as today’s gazpachos. Once it began using tomatoes, its popularity grew, and it’s now impossible to imagine a traditional gazpacho Andaluz without tomatoes. 

According to the Real Academia Española, the name “gazpacho” may come from the Greek word γαζοφυλάκιον (gazophylákion), meaning “brush of the church”, because of the variety of the ingredients. (Collection bowls at churches often contained coins and money, but also a variety of other objects).

Ingredients

Gazpacho uses fresh ingredients that you may have in your summer garden. Traditionally, it uses ripe tomatoes, peeled cucumbers, and green peppers, with the addition of garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Some people add onions to their gazpacho, while others say that “real gazpacho” doesn’t use onions. The soup also traditionally uses some bread, but not everybody includes it these days. In the end, the ingredients chosen are up to you!

When choosing tomatoes, try using ripe tomatoes with a lot of juice in them. Pear-shaped tomatoes like roma tomatoes are a good choice. Most people don’t peel or de-seed the tomatoes before adding them, but you can strain out the seeds and peels after blending all of the ingredients together. 

Cucumbers, on the other hand, are pre-peeled as cucumber peel can be quite hard. 

While some people like using red peppers, traditional gazpacho Andaluz gets its distinct flavor from green peppers instead. You can use either green bell peppers or Italian peppers. Use half a bell pepper for every Italian pepper called for. 

Sherry vinegar is the type of vinegar normally used in gazpacho Andaluz, but if you don’t have it on hand, don’t let that stop you from making this delicious soup. Try using whatever vinegar you have at home instead. I often use homemade vinegar such as homemade apple cider vinegar.

When it comes to oil, though, extra virgin olive oil is best for giving your gazpacho its traditional Spanish flavor. No matter which variety of gazpacho I make, I always choose extra virgin olive oil both for blending into the soup and garnishing it!

While gazpacho is traditionally made with bread, it can be made without for a lighter gluten-free, grain-free alternative. The classic version is made with hard bread that has been pre-soaked in water to soften it before blending it into a thick puree. The bread changes the color and texture of the gazpacho. 

Preparation

This recipe takes just 15 minutes (or less) to prepare and can be made ahead of time. In fact, it’s best to prepare your gazpacho at least a little while in advance to have time to chill the finished soup and allow the flavors to meld together. 

Preparation is simple, especially if you have a potent food processor or blender. (Traditionally, it was made using a mortar and pestle, but modern appliances make the process quicker and easier. 

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To make the gazpacho, rinse all of the vegetables well. Peel the cucumber, and cut all of the veggies into chunks. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until everything is well combined. For a smoother gazpacho, press the puree through a sieve to remove the vegetable skins and seeds. (You can also use a pasapuré, food mill, to strain out the seeds.)

Pour the mixture into a bowl or pitcher and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the mixture for several hours or overnight.

Serving

When ready to serve it, remove the soup from the refrigerator and place it in a serving bowl or glass. Serve it chilled.

For best presentation, drizzle some olive oil over the top and, optionally, sprinkle it with some salt flakes. You can also garnish it with herbs like fresh parsley or some of the other optional garnishes.

Optional Garnishes

There are many ways to garnish a traditional gazpacho Andaluz. You’ll almost always find it drizzled with a bit of high-quality olive oil and, perhaps, some salt or freshly ground black pepper, but there are many other great garnishes that you can use.

• Salt flakes: I love using coarse salt or salt flakes atop my gazpacho. Salt flakes can be found in a variety of colors and flavors. My favorite is probably the black salt flakes because of their striking color. 
• Chopped vegetables: To add a bit more color (and crunch), you can sprinkle finely cut veggies over the top of your soup. This can include finely cut green pepper, onions, cucumber, and/or tomato. While red pepper isn’t traditionally used within the soup itself, finely cut red pepper would also make a great garnish.
• Croutons or toast: If you love bread, why not serve your gazpacho with some toasted bread slices and/or croutons?
• Ham or bacon: Cured ham, like serrano ham (or prosciutto), can be baked until crispy and used as a garnish too. You can also use uncooked ham slices or finely diced ham pieces. Crumbled bacon would also be delicious!

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• Eggs: If you love hard-boiled eggs, you can also sprinkle crumbled hard-boiled eggs or add hard-boiled egg wedges or slices to the top of your gazpacho.
• Herbs: One of the most popular ways to garnish gazpacho, of course, is to add some herbs like sprigs of fresh parsley. They can be used alone or in combination with the other garnishes above.

Variations

While traditional gazpacho Andaluz uses tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers, over the years the recipe has been modified by many chefs to suit a variety of tastes. Modern gazpachos, now basically just cold pureed soups, can be made with a variety of vegetables and fruits.

While there are unlimited options, here are some ideas to get your imagination going:

• Fruit: Fruits can be pureed into a more traditional gazpacho to add color and flavor or they can be used in place of one of the other ingredients. Berries like strawberries or blackberries are delicious in gazpacho. They can also be combined with melons and cucumbers for a sweet, fruit-based gazpacho.  Green apple adds a tanginess that also pairs well with gazpacho.

• Add some spices: Adding cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, coriander, cardamom, saffron, turmeric, or ginger creates a more exotic gazpacho.

• Use a different kind of vinegar: white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, rice vinegar, or even ginger vinegar.

Flavors to try

• Green gazpacho – Green gazpacho can be made by substituting other green veggies for the tomatoes in the original recipe. Spinach, zucchini, and/or celery are great options to choose from. 
• Cherry Gazpacho – Remove the pits from some cherries and puree them into your gazpacho to add color and flavor.

• Watermelon Gazpacho – Watermelons are naturally sweet and refreshing. They can be added to your gazpacho or used in place of tomatoes, cucumbers, or one of the other ingredients.
• Melon gazpacho – For a sweeter gazpacho, use green melon or cantaloupe for the main base of your gazpacho. Melons combine well with berries, mints, and tropical fruits like pineapples or mangoes.

• Mango Gazpacho – Mango is an excellent choice for gazpacho. It’s naturally sweet and it pairs very well with any number of spices. Try adding cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, or chili powder for an exotic variation.
• Red Lentil Gazpacho – Red lentils are a good source of protein and fiber. Cooked red lentils can be pureed into the gazpacho itself, or added on top as a garnish.
• Pumpkin Gazpacho – Try adding some fresh pumpkin puree to your gazpacho to add natural sweetness and creaminess.

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