GAZPACHO
Origins
If there is a
typical Spanish dish in hot weather it is the gazpacho.
Possibly one of the oldest
foods of mankind although there is no exact date of its invention, the first
references date back to the first century BC as the poet Virgil in his written
Publius "Eclogue II" tells of a rural dish prepared by mashing
various vegetables, garlic and herbs.
Gazpacho is a cold
soup, which is eaten in the summer months because it is very refreshing and
very interesting in terms of nutrients, since it is a cocktail of vitamins and
minerals.
It is one of
the dishes of Spanish traditional cuisine.
It can be used as a starter and you can accompany with chopped vegetables into small pieces, the same ones you used to prepare the
gazpacho and croutons. It can also be accompanied
with crispy bits of bacon or ham.
There are many
different kinds of Gazpacho although the most famous is the Andalusia one.
Nutrients
Gazpacho is a
natural source of vitamin C (mainly for the content of pepper), vitamin A and
vitamin E, carbohydrates, some minerals such as phosphorus, iron, calcium,
magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper, potassium and sodium as well as fiber and
antioxidants such as lycopene responsible for the characteristic red color of
tomatoes and also carotenoids.
Gazpacho recipe
Timescale: 15
minutes
Level of
difficulty: Easy
Price level:
very affordable
Ingredients:
8 plum or Italian tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 cucumber, 1
small green bell pepper, 3 thick slices of bread, 1 or 2 cloves of garlic,
oil, vinegar and a pinch of salt.
Put in the
largest jar blender chopped tomatoes, onion, peeled and chopped cucumber, pepper
and garlic, add 2 glasses of water. Blend all with the mixer. Now enter a sprig of parsley, washed and chopped, 2 tablespoons
oil, another of vinegar and a pinch of salt to taste. Blend one last time
and the gazpacho is done!. If it is too thick, pour more water and then beat
with the mixer again. If it is too liquid, you can make your own croutons or add some bread and blend all again with the mixer. Cool in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours and even better if allow to cool for 24h.
Tips:
How to ripen
tomatoes
If the
tomatoes you have bought are too green and you want to ripen them, do not store
them in the fridge; tuck them inside a paper bag with an apple or a plum tomato, then put the bag in a warm and dark place for two days.
How to make homemade croutons
It is better to use stale bread. Cut the bread into slices. Put some olive oil in a fry pan and when it is hot, add the slices. When they are ready, take them out and drain the excess oil well. Or use toasted bread instead of frying. Once they are cold, cut them into small cubes.
For more delicious flavors try growing your own tomatoes as shown on our Garden Fresh page!
See also:
For more delicious flavors try growing your own tomatoes as shown on our Garden Fresh page!
See also:
