Smooth Andalusian Gazpacho →

Photo c. foodblogchef 2020
Salmorejo garnished with croutons, chopped hard-boiled egg, and jamón ibérico.

Spanish Gazpacho, a chilled tomato-based vegetable soup, is one of the most popular cold soups in the world. Before I traveled in Spain I was only familiar with the chunky style of Gazpacho commonly served here in the United States. Gazpacho, also called Salmorejo in Cordoba, originated in southern Spain in the province of Andalusia. Authentic Andalusian Salmorejo is more commonly served smooth, not chunky, and flavored with fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and local sherry vinegar and garnished with a combination of chunks of vegetables, pieces of stale bread (or croutons), chopped hard-boiled eggs, and/or chopped Iberian Ham. While in Cordoba I encountered a beautiful tile wall attributed to the town government of Cordoba entitled “Receta del Salmorejo Cordobés” (Recipe for Cordobés Salmorejo). I guess that makes it an official cultural gastronomic icon! When I returned from Spain, researching Gazpacho and Salmorejo recipes became a project for me to come up with my ideal recipe for Gazpacho. Thanks to Julia Moskin at New York Times Cooking and Chef José Andres whose recipes come closest to my ideal Gazpacho. Here it is. Buen apetito!

Serves: 8
Ingredients:

Photo c. foodblogchef 2018

• About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, seeded, and roughly cut into chunks (about 8-9 Roma tomatoes)

• 1 Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded, and roughly cut into chunks. (I prefer the fruitier cubanelle pepper to the common green pepper)

• 1 cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks

• 1 small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Assorted garnishes to your taste including chopped hard-boiled eggs and Iberian ham (or prosciutto), sauteed shrimp, slivered toasted almonds, toasted pieces of a rustic style bread, cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced avocado, fried capers, chopped chives, and/or quartered pearl onions pulled apart.

Preparation:

Salmorejo garnished with fried capers, diced avocado, and adobo sauteed shrimp.

1. Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

2. With the motor running, add the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt.

3. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until the texture is creamy.

4. Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids.

5. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

6. Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar.

7. If the soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons of ice water.

8. Serve the soup chilled in glasses as appetizers or in a bowl if you are serving it as a first course or a light main meal.

9. A drizzle of olive oil on top is a nice touch. In addition to combinations of the garnishes listed above, if I have any left-over in the fridge, I especially like to add 2-3 Spicy Cajun Shrimp to the bowl before pouring on the soup to make it a main meal.

   
   https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017577-best-gazpacho @Julia Moskin
   https://www.delish.com/cooking/a1114/jose-andres-gazpacho-recipe/