December 6th is National Gazpacho Day #NationalGazpachoDay. I don’t know about you but my family hasn’t had Gazpacho and I don’t think we ever will because we don’t care for Tomato’s but we do eat Tomato Soup sometimes and Gazpacho is the chilled, more delicate cousin of boring old Tomato Soup. Looks like it might be time for my family to branch out and try a new recipe.
Gazpacho wasn’t always made that way: Gazpacho originated in Andalusia, a region of Spain, probably way back in the Middle Ages. Back then Gazpacho was made out of a combination of stale Bread, Oil, Vinegar, and Water all pounded together with a mortar and pestle. At that time, Spain was part of the Islamic world, so the name Gazpacho comes from an Arabic word for “soaked Bread.”
Nowadays, the primary ingredients are Tomatoes/Tomato Juice, Bell Peppers, and Cucumber, which get transformed into Soup via a blender (you can use a mortar and pestle if you want to be really traditional about it).!
National Gazpacho Day Activities
- If you want to leave your Gazpacho celebrations in the hands of experts, hop on Yelp and find the best Spanish restaurant near you. Obviously you’re here for the Gazpacho, but order Sherry (if you’re of age!) and Boquerones for extra points. Then you should close your eyes and pretend you’re in España.
- If you’d rather have a more hands-on celebration, you can make Gazpacho at home. Head to the grocery store or farmers market to pick up the Vegetables. Remember to make sure the Vegetables are fresh. Then pull out the Oil, Vinegar, Salt, and Pepper out of your pantry. Grab the blender and you’re pretty much done! If you can, try to make the Soup a few hours before you plan to eat it: we find that the flavors develop more after they’ve had some time to sit for a while.
- Now we love Gazpacho, but we wouldn’t say it makes for a satisfying meal on its own unless you’re on a Juice cleanse.. Invite some friends over to celebrate National Gazpacho Day and round out the menu with some other delicious and easy Spanish classics like Patatas Bravas, Gambas al Ajillo, and Tortilla Española.
Why We Love National Gazpacho Day
Gazpacho couldn’t be easier to make, but the most difficult part is actually finding the freshest, most flavorful Vegetables possible. Since you aren’t employing any heat cooking techniques to coax any flavor out of them, you have to be sure that the Veggies are already in peak condition. No sad, tasteless Tomatoes allowed!
Gazpacho isn’t something that many people would think of as an everyday recipe Gazpacho seems more suited for a special dinner party, or a really hot Summer day. But it really couldn’t be simpler to make. Go out and purchase Tomatoes, Peppers, and Cucumber. Everything else you need is in your pantry. Once you have the ingredients, it’s really as simple as chopping the Vegetables up and throwing them in a blender. That’s our kind of “cooking.”
The traditional recipe for Gazpacho is a Tomato-based Soup, but over the years people have come up with dozens of modifications. Throw some spicy Peppers in if you want to kick Gazpacho up a notch. If you’d prefer something green, omit the Tomatoes and make a Cucumber-Avocado Gazpacho. Craving Soup that’s a bit sweeter? Watermelon Gazpacho has become an incredibly popular variation.
Recipe for Gazpacho
- 6-7 medium tomatoes vine-ripened if possible
- 1 green Cubanelle pepper also called Italian pepper
- 1 cucumber
- ½ of a small white onion
- 1 medium clove garlic
- ¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 1 splash sherry vinegar Vinagre de Jerez
- 1 pinch salt plus extra for garnish
- Toppings including diced green apple, onion, pepper, croutons, or hard-boiled eggs optional
Instructions
Serve the Gazpacho cold in glasses or in small bowls garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, or with other toppings.
Thoroughly wash and dry the vegetables.
Peel the tomatoes if desired, then coarsely chop them.
Split the pepper in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and membranes, then cut it into a few smaller pieces.
Peel the garlic, cut it in half lengthwise, and remove the core. This part of the clove can add bitterness when the garlic is eaten raw.
Peel and quarter the onion.
Peel the cucumber and cut it in half. Add half to the blender and save the other half for a topping.
Add the tomatoes to a powerful blender, then add the pepper, garlic, onion, and cucumber. Blend on low speed until the vegetables are mostly chopped, then blend on high speed until it is puréed.
Season with the salt and vinegar. Keep the blender running on a slow speed and slowly add the olive oil until it’s emulsified.
Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar to taste. Thicken as desired with stale bread or croutons, or thin it down with ice-cold water.
Pour the gazpacho through a chinois strainer to remove any tomato skins or small lumps, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
