Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish soup made of raw finely chopped vegetables. This cool and refreshing soup can be served as a starter, a tapa, or a main course.

Gazpacho is composed of chopped fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers. Tomato juice and olive oil are added to the vegetables to make the soup. There are many variations of gazpacho. Some are made in the traditional manner of southern Spain and include bread. Other interpretations include fruit such as strawberries or watermelon to make the soup sweet. Other versions use jalapeños or other hot peppers for spice and avocado for a garnish or as part of the soup.

Try my version of another type of a cold Spanish soup called Salmorejo Cordobes. It is composed of pureed tomatoes, bread, and olive oil and the soup is garnished with prosciutto or Spanish ham.

You will need a food processor to make the gazpacho. Make sure that you do not puree the veggies or over process them. You want the gazpacho to be chunky and have texture. I seed the vegetables and cut them into large chunks. Then I pulse the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers in batches until they are the desired texture. If you do not care for bell peppers, leave them out. You can substitute a little diced jalapeño for more spice if you desire.

After the vegetables are chopped, I pour everything into a large bowl. Remember to over season a bit because the soup will be served cold. Chill the soup for a couple of hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Gazpacho is another  wonderful no cook recipe that will keep you and your kitchen cool during these hot summer months.