As heatwaves continue throughout the globe this August, you may find yourself doing two things: planning your next getaway so you can enjoy the summer weather at your leisure rather than suffer from it at work and looking for the right foods to keep you contentedly full and cool. Well, why not combine the two and plan a trip to Spain and learn how to make a delicious gazpacho to enjoy while your brain cools down enough to actually organise your getaway?
Native of the region of Andalusia, the dish can be readily enjoyed in eateries all over if you have found a vacation rental in Spain or a vacation rental in Portugal, as it is common throughout both countries. However, if you want to try the true original of the species, then you should browse our vacation rentals in Andalusia and seek it out the place in which it was born. However, if you can't head out right now to try the real deal but have always been curious about this iconic Spanish dish, then why not read on to our recipe and try making it at home for yourself?
Native of the region of Andalusia, the dish can be readily enjoyed in eateries all over if you have found a vacation rental in Spain or a vacation rental in Portugal, as it is common throughout both countries. However, if you want to try the true original of the species, then you should browse our vacation rentals in Andalusia and seek it out the place in which it was born. However, if you can't head out right now to try the real deal but have always been curious about this iconic Spanish dish, then why not read on to our recipe and try making it at home for yourself?
A soup made of raw, blended vegetables, gazpacho is refreshing and cool and has a number of variants including ajoblanco, salmorejo, pipirrana, porra antequerana, and cojondongo. The exact origins of the dish - as with many ancient, popular, and representative dishes – are somewhat shrouded in mystery and confusion with multiple origin tales and theories as to how it was created. However, the most common version of the tale is that gazpacho is descended from a soup that arrived to Spain with the Romans and was made from bread, olive oil, water, vinegar and garlic. It took root in the Iberian peninsula, and Andalusia, in particular. Eventually, the dish became a representative dish and part of Andalusian cuisine, with especially strong ties to Córdoba, Seville, and Granada, or the Moorish Al-Andalus regions. This version was made using stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar and was similar to ajoblanco.
While tomatoes arrived in Europe in the 16th century, the most famous version of gazpacho, the red gazpacho with tomatoes added to the recipe, was not created until the 19th century. Other modern iterations of gazpacho make use of cucumbers, parsley, strawberries, watermelon, grapes, meat stock, seafood, and other ingredients instead of tomatoes and bread. However, this was the variety that gained the most popularity and that spread internationally. Here is our recipe for you to make it yourself and see what all of the fuss is about!
Ingredients:
700ml of water
6-10 large red tomatoes
1 large, sweet green pepper
1 cucumber
1 small onion
100ml of olive oil
70ml of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
Some crusty bread
Method:
1. Wash and prep the veg: slice the pepper and remove ribs and seeds, peel and slice the cucumber, cube the onion, and peel and crush the garlic, cut the tomatoes in quarters.
2. Place the vegetables and herbs and spices in a blender and blend until your desired consistency.
3. Add the water, olive oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Blend again but, ideally, leave some texture. However, if you're not a fan of this, you can strain the more solid parts of the soup and puree it.
4. Leave in a container in the fridge overnight.
5. Serve cool and with some crusty bread.
6. Enjoy this Spanish classic while you plan your next getaway to Spain on a comfortably full stomach...
While tomatoes arrived in Europe in the 16th century, the most famous version of gazpacho, the red gazpacho with tomatoes added to the recipe, was not created until the 19th century. Other modern iterations of gazpacho make use of cucumbers, parsley, strawberries, watermelon, grapes, meat stock, seafood, and other ingredients instead of tomatoes and bread. However, this was the variety that gained the most popularity and that spread internationally. Here is our recipe for you to make it yourself and see what all of the fuss is about!
Ingredients:
700ml of water
6-10 large red tomatoes
1 large, sweet green pepper
1 cucumber
1 small onion
100ml of olive oil
70ml of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of salt
2 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of cumin
Some crusty bread
Method:
1. Wash and prep the veg: slice the pepper and remove ribs and seeds, peel and slice the cucumber, cube the onion, and peel and crush the garlic, cut the tomatoes in quarters.
2. Place the vegetables and herbs and spices in a blender and blend until your desired consistency.
3. Add the water, olive oil, vinegar, and salt to taste. Blend again but, ideally, leave some texture. However, if you're not a fan of this, you can strain the more solid parts of the soup and puree it.
4. Leave in a container in the fridge overnight.
5. Serve cool and with some crusty bread.
6. Enjoy this Spanish classic while you plan your next getaway to Spain on a comfortably full stomach...