On hot summer days, okroshka is the most popular dish. However, it can be replaced with the traditional Spanish dish, the hearty, refreshing cold tomato soup gazpacho.
Recipe content:
- Ingredients
- Step by step cooking
- Video recipe
Gazpacho is a Spanish cold soup, which in ancient times was found exclusively on the tables of peasants in the center and in the north of Spain. The history of this dish is divided into "BEFORE" and "AFTER". Until tomatoes were cultivated in Europe, gazpacho was made white from garlic, bread, olive oil and vinegar. And after Columbus discovered America and Europe began to grow and harvest tomatoes, the dish turned into the utilization of mature vegetables. And only after the lapse of time gazpacho ceased to be the food of the poor, he rose from the very bottom to the very top of exquisite gastronomy.
Traditionally, this cold soup is made from mashed or grated raw tomatoes with the addition of other vegetables to taste and desire. The classic components of gazpacho are: cucumbers, onions, peppers, garlic, olive oil. Lemon juice, water, vinegar, bread, spices, and salt may also be added. Therefore, in the culinary world of gazpacho recipes, there are many different variations. For example, in Jerez it is served with chopped rings of raw onions, in Segovia it is seasoned with basil, caraway seeds and prepared with mayonnaise, in Malaga it is diluted with veal broth, almonds and grapes, in Cordoba it is thickened with cream with corn flour, and in Cadiz on cold winter days served hot.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 47 kcal.
- Servings - 3
- Cooking time - 15 minutes, plus 2-3 hours for infusing the soup
Ingredients:
- Tomatoes - 500 g
- Cucumber - 0.5 pcs.
- Sweet red bell pepper - 1/3 pcs.
- Garlic - 1 clove
- Lemon - 0.5 pcs.
- Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- Parsley greens - 5-6 sprigs
- Onion - 1/4 part
- Salt - 0.5 tsp or to taste
- Sugar - 1/3 tsp
- Ground black pepper - 1/4 tsp or to taste
Cooking Cold Gazpacho in Spanish
1. Wash the tomatoes, wipe dry with a cotton towel and immerse them in a blender. If you do not have a stationary blender, then use a handheld appliance.
2. Peel the red bell pepper from seeds and remove the stalk. Cut off the ends from the cucumbers. Peel the garlic and onion. Wash the vegetables, cut off the desired part and cut into slices. Wash and chop the greens.
3. Dip all prepared vegetables into a blender with tomatoes. The amount of vegetables added may vary depending on individual tastes. Therefore, if you prefer spicy food, add more garlic and onions, if you want to feel sweetness, increase the amount of bell peppers. You can also use absolutely any greens: dill, cilantro, rosemary.
4. Grind vegetables with a blender into a mash.
5. Next, take a portion of the vegetable mixture, put it in a sieve and grind it with a tablespoon. You should have a cake (peel of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber), which you throw away.
6. Pour olive oil and the juice of half a lemon into the grated tomato mass, add salt, sugar and ground pepper.
7. Stir the food to distribute it evenly and let the soup sit in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours for a rich taste. Ready-made gazpacho is usually poured into plates or glasses and served with white croutons. If desired, the consistency of the soup can be diluted with water or broth. This dish perfectly satisfies hunger, thirst and gives strength.
See also the video recipe on how to make gazpacho.
