Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a cold soup from Andalusia in southern Spain. It is made from raw ripe tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and salt, blended until smooth. Many recipes add a little stale bread to give it body. It is served chilled, often in a glass, on hot summer days.

How to do it

1. Roughly chop about 1 kg (2 lb) of very ripe tomatoes, half a cucumber, half a green bell pepper and a small clove of garlic.
2. If you use bread, soak a slice of stale white bread in water and squeeze it out.
3. Blend the vegetables and bread until smooth, with a blender or an immersion blender.
4. With the blender running, pour in about 100 ml (scant ½ cup) of olive oil. It turns the soup paler and creamy, because the oil forms an emulsion.
5. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and salt.
6. For a silky texture, pass it through a sieve.
7. Chill for at least 2 hours.
8. Taste and adjust the seasoning just before serving. Cold dulls flavor, so it usually needs a bit more salt.

How to store it

Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Stir before serving, because it may separate.

Common mistakes

• Pale, out-of-season tomatoes. They make a thin, sour soup. Gazpacho is a summer dish for a reason.
• Too much garlic. Raw garlic gets stronger as the soup sits.
• Serving it warm. It should be properly cold.
• Adding all the vinegar at once. Start small and add more after chilling.

In recipes

Gazpacho is often served with small bowls of diced cucumber, pepper, onion, hard-boiled egg and croutons for people to add. Salmorejo is a thicker cousin from Córdoba, made mostly of tomato, bread and oil, topped with egg and ham. "Gazpacho" on modern menus can also mean other chilled blended soups, such as watermelon or green gazpacho.