Gourmet Groove

Category: Chronicle Archives Published on Thursday, 27 July 2006 20:00 Written by Michigan Chronicle

Gazpacho, just try it

Can you imagine enjoying soup when it’s hot outside?  How about a bowl of minestrone or chicken noodle?  Actually, I can’t imagine it either.  Although soup is enjoyed year-round, I tend to think of it as a cold weather food.  Soup in the summer is like drinking hot chocolate in 90 degree weather. 

But if you’re a soup lover and don’t want to give up soup regardless of the temperature, maybe you should try gazpacho {gahz-PAH-choh}.  This soup is reserved for summer and hails from southern Spain.  The first time I tried gazpacho was in Mexico.  I like to sample different types of foods, so when I saw everyone else enjoying the red soup, I tried a bowl too.  At first, I was expecting a hot soup or something at least a little warm.  Actually, I made a face because I didn’t expect it to be cold. 

After a few seconds, I realized I liked it and finished my cup.  If I had to describe the taste, I’d say it’s similar to salsa with fewer chunks.  Normally, gazpacho is made with tomatoes, but the main ingredients also include bell peppers, onions, celery, cucumbers and garlic.  Like salsa, it is enjoyed with tortilla chips or bread chunks. 

Gazpacho is often described as a liquid salad and descends from an ancient Spanish concoction of stale bread, ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers and garlic that is blended with olive oil, vinegar and ice water, and served cold.  Tomatoes, now an important ingredient of gazpacho, were not an original part of the gazpacho recipes and were added later along with bell peppers.

Back in the day, gazpacho was made in a mortar and combined with bread that was about a week old.  The bread and vegetable mix is pounded to a paste and then the tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar are added.  The tomatoes are pressed through a sieve so that no seeds are in the finished dish.  Although now a popular dish for everyone on a warm day, gazpacho was first enjoyed only by the poor. 

Gazpacho comes in a variety of versions, some of which contain almonds and no tomatoes and peppers, and they are classified by the color of the soup — red, white or green. 

Red gazpacho, is basically a cold and uncooked vegetable soup with a tomato base. It can be served with hard-boiled eggs, strips of ham and chopped almonds.  The best known red gazpacho is the one I tasted with tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers all finely chopped. 

White gazpacho is typical of the south of Spain.  White garlic and peeled almonds are crushed together and then water is added to obtain the smoothness of the soup.  Pine nuts are sometimes used instead of almonds.  In the summer, the garlic flavor is sweetened with the addition of melon, apples or grapes. 

Green gazpacho is made by combining chopped herbs and vegetables.  Often, coriander, mint, parsley and basil are mixed together along with lettuce and green pepper.

Gazpacho is served as a first course and it’s a refreshing substitute for a salad.  Try it, you might like it.  I did!