For some reason, Spanish cuisine in our country has not received such popularity as Italian. Meanwhile, she has something to brag about and what to oppose to any other culinary school. For example, in the heat, a real Andalusian gazpacho can become a good alternative to the familiar okroshka. The recipe for this cold soup is uncomplicated, and the taste will satisfy even the most picky gourmet. Given that there are innumerable options for its preparation, everyone will be able to choose the one that will appeal to them more.
Andalusian gazpacho
It is believed that this soup in its composition necessarily contains (and always contains) tomatoes. However, this is not so, if we mean the ancient real Andalusian gazpacho. The recipe of those times did not include tomatoes. This dish was, in fact, white soup. But modern variations on the theme of gazpacho cannot do without a tomato. Moreover, they are required more than all other components.
Vegetables are prepared: cucumber, green bell pepper, a couple of garlic cloves, half a small red onion and a kilogram of tomato. All components are mashed in a blender, and then wiped through a fine sieve.
Then the Andalusian gazpacho is flavored with a tablespoon of olive oil, wine vinegar, pepper, salt, and placed in the refrigerator for infusion. You will have to wait at least 4 hours. When the time comes to set the table, the soup is mixed with a blender or mixer, crackers are placed in plates with it, and next is a dish with mixed vegetables - cucumbers, Crimean onions, tomatoes and Bulgarian pepper. You can place a bowl with olive oil next to it - add to your portion if you want.
Shrimp Gazpacho
Not everyone likes vegetarian dishes. For lovers of something more substantial, you can recommend a real Andalusian gazpacho with seafood. Peeled shrimps (half a kilo) are salted, pepper and quickly fried (in olive oil). Six tomatoes, half a red onion, half a cucumber, two cloves of garlic and fried bell pepper are mixed in a food processor; one and a half glasses of tomato juice, two tablespoons of wine vinegar are poured into the soup, salt and pepper are poured. Shrimps are laid out on plates and filled with chilled gazpacho. You can start the meal.
White gazpacho with almonds (aho blanco)
In many recipes, this soup is served with croutons. However, it is worth remembering that it began with bread soaked in water with butter, vinegar and garlic. Try to cook the real Andalusian gazpacho, the recipe of which is closest to the origins.
A large piece of bread breaks into slices and is poured with water. 1 kg 300 g of tomato is passed through a blender. The mass is wiped to get rid of the skins and seeds. Then chopped a pound of cucumbers, a quarter kilogram of bell pepper, soaked bread, large onion, 3-4 cloves of garlic, half a glass of almonds and a few twigs of basil. All these ingredients are mixed with the resulting tomato juice, the soup is seasoned with ground pepper, olive oil, vinegar (wine or balsamic), salt and caraway seeds. A spoonful of honey will add a special touch.
The last step before serving is cooling the soup in the refrigerator. Very often, finely chopped green apple and soaked raisins are served on a separate saucer for acho blanca.
Green variety
This is another real Andalusian gazpacho. The recipe is not based on tomatoes, but on sweet pepper. Five green peppers are cut lengthwise, freed from seeds, laid out on the oven leaf flesh down, sprayed with olive oil and baked until the skin is darkened. They are packaged hot in a container for ten minutes - it will be easier to peel them off.
Peeled peppers along with half a kilogram of cucumbers are placed in a blender and beat in a homogeneous mass. Dried bread, several cloves of garlic and olive oil and salt are also treated separately. If it turns out a little thick, water is added. Both substances are combined, a spoonful of vinegar is added (you can replace it with lemon juice). Further, the soup is either put in the refrigerator for cooling, or diluted with very cold water, or ice cubes are thrown into it.
Watermelon Option
Such a soup is often prepared with fruit. The most popular Andalusian gazpacho with watermelon. For him, four tomatoes are scalded and freed from the skin, and two sweet peppers (this time red) are chopped and roasted with a pair of garlic cloves.
A piece of watermelon gets rid of the peel and seeds, two cucumbers are peeled (if they have a thick skin). All components are folded into a blender and whipped in mashed potatoes. Soup should be salt, pepper, and then cool. When serving, you can pour greens into it and season with olive oil. Crackers are served as an addition.
What else is gazpacho
The popularity of the soup has spawned many of its variations. In addition to red, white and green, for example, yellow exists, it is also a golden Andalusian gazpacho. The recipe is based on yellow tomatoes, but no less often the soup is prepared using carrots, yellow peppers or melon. Pumpkin as the main ingredient is much less common.
An interesting version of baked gazpacho. In principle, this is just a variation of serving, since the soup itself is made according to one of the basic recipes and is ready to be bottled in pots into which toasted croutons are added. Pots are placed in the oven, gazpacho sprinkled with cheese and baked.
The gazpacho cocktail is made more liquid and served as a drink. There are both non-alcoholic options, and with the addition of liquors.