Originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia where the summers can be blisteringly hot and arid, Gazpacho soup is just made for hot summer days. It’s refreshingly chilled tomato liquid is the perfect base for chunky uncooked vegetables that gives the soup its nickname of the liquid salad.
Gazpacho has a long history that can be traced back to Roman times but it wasn’t the kind of gazpacho we know today. The Romans in their quest to conquer the Iberian Peninsula slaved in searing heat and in dusty conditions at building roads, aqueducts, viaducts, forts and villas that created a man-sized thirst. Of course the foot soldiers and slaves expended a great deal of energy and shed copious amounts of salts during their labours. All needed replacing so that empire building could continue.
Beginnings - The Origins of Gaspacho
Originally made from a concoction of stale bread, garlic, olive oil and vinegar, Spanish peasants later added vegetables to the mix to make it a more substantial soup later still tomatoes and sweet peppers were added after their introduction from the conquered lands of the New World; gazpacho was born and in it’s original form has remained essentially unchanged since the 16th century.
However, variations have cropped up now and again but it is the tomato-based “salad soup” that remains faithful to its heritage.
One sip of this exotic and piquant soup and one is instantly transported to little Spanish villages baking in the Mediterranean heat, parched-grass mountains rising beyond the little terracotta-tile-roofed, white washed casas. The gently lapping waters of the Med. playing a soft and light tattoo on the golden strand.
How then to make the perfect pick-me-up gazpacho in just 30 minutes?
The basic ingredients are:
- 250 grams of bread
- 600 grams of tomatoes
- A couple of garlic cloves
- A couple of onions
- Two of each red and green peppers
- One cucumber
- 100 mls of olive oil
- 30 mls of red wine vinegar
- 20 mls of water
- Cumin (if preferred)
- Juice of 1 lime
- A dash of Tabasco sauce
Method
- Using a large mortar bowl mush both the cumin, garlic and pre-soaked bread.
- In a large bowl place the chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, oil, vinegar and the salt and then mix with the mortar mush.
- Add half the contents to a food blender and mix until smooth add the salt and strain into a jug or bowl.
- Chill well in a refrigerator until served, just before serving combine the blended soup with the remaining original mixture.
Serves four people.
A soup that guaranteed to please even the most discerning of soup-aficionados.
