Get your gazpacho on
Yep. It’s December 6. What better time of the year to celebrate a cooling chilled summer chilled soup. Somehow, some genius decided today would be National Gazpacho day. So, why not go with it? After all, gazpacho is a versatile soup. And, it is “the holiday season”. So, red and green are in style right now. It’s time to get your gazpacho on.
To start, let’s look at what gazpacho is. I actually worked at a country club where we served a gazpacho salad. When you think about it, that makes sense: tomato, cucumber, herbs = Salad. In fact, some early cookbooks refer to it as a salad. But, What we know as gazpacho harks back to Spain, from the Andalusian region. The word gazpacho supposedly derives from Arabic, meaning soaked bread. And, that is what the Spanish version is: Tomato, onion, garlic, cucumber, vinegar, and green peppers thickened with bread crumbs. However, that is not what most people get when they order gazpacho in America today.
Although, the traditional gazpacho is still served in Spain, Portugal, and surrounding areas, when it migrated to the new world, changes occurred. And, what we get today is a chef’s interpretation of a cold soup. With all the gluten and carb awareness today, bread is no longer in most versions. We also tend to spice it up a bit. Instead of green peppers, Jalapeno and other chilis have become the go to pepper. So, Our free form jazz like interpretations tend to be more on the spicy side.
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Get your gazpacho on in all its varied forms
Today, gazpacho is a loose interpretation of the word. Most versions are a tomato cucumber soup served cold. But, as Americans, you can’t restrain us to individual ingredients. Tomato is a suggestion. And, with Farmer’s markets and a desire to eat local, we gravitate toward whatever is available to get our gazpacho on. In summer, you will find melon, strawberry, or mango gazpacho a refreshing departure from the ordinary. And, if you want something more savory, How about a roasted corn version?
But, it is now December. We should be sipping Chicken soup to stave off the flu, or, enjoying a rich warming chowder or bisque. Why on earth would we want to indulge in a cold soup? There are long convoluted answers. But, the short, simple answer is the age old question: “why not?”
Exactly, why not… why not enjoy a blast of flavor? Why not do the unexpected? Why not enjoy whatever you want? We still eat salads in the winter. Why not have a liquid salad? And, while we are doing that, why not add some booze? Maybe make a gazpacho bloody Mary. Or, just add Vodka or champagne to a gazpacho for Brunch. Besides, what’s better than day drinking?
So, what kind of gazpacho are we making today?
Well, it’s not summertime. So, making a mango gazpacho, probably isn’t the best thing. Maybe stick to mango Mimosas. Those work any time of year. But, it’s winter, so let’s go with something a little more seasonal. And, for this one, we are going to go a little off script with a very loose interpretation of gazpacho. Most gazpacho is made of raw ingredients. So, if you want to stick to a traditional gazpacho, here is a simple recipe that requires no cooking: just put your ingredients in a blender:
Heirloom Tomato gazpacho
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Fresh heirloom tomato, Cored and rough chopped
- 2 Cup Peeled and seeded cucumber
- 1 Cup Red Onion
- 2 medium Garlic Cloves
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Jalapeno
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 1/4 cup Lime Juice
- 1/4 Cup Olive oil
- 2 Tbsp red Wine Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve with Sour cream, creme fraiche, or unsweetened greek yogurt. Or use a vegan substitute for the cream You could also garnish with fine diced cucumber and tomato.
Notice, we left out the bread crumbs to keep it lighter and gluten free.
For the more adventurous, we offer this Winter warming version incorporating cooked root vegetables:
Vodka Beet Gazpacho with Honey yogurt
Ingredients
- 3 Cup Cooked Red Beets
- 2 Cup Large Dice vidalia onion
- 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Ginger
- 1/4 Cup Diced Fresh Poblano Pepper
- 1 Cup Peeled and seeded Cucumber
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 1/2 cup Vodka
- 1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Mint, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tsp each: cumin and cinnamon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- For Honey Yogurt
- 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 tsp Lime Juice
Instructions
- Boil or roast your beets, Strain, peel, and cut in large pieces.
- Heat a little oil in a pan over medium high heat. Saute the onion and ginger until caramelized. Allow to cool.
- Mix your honey yogurt. Set aside.
- Put all ingredients, except yogurt mix in a blender and puree on high speed until smooth.
- Serve in a glass or plain bowl topped with the yogurt and mint garnish.