Andalucian Gazpacho Recipes

Steps:

• Soak bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water.
• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.
• Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
• Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.

Steps:

• 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.
• With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. 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 texture is creamy.
• 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. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.

Steps:

• Blend tomatoes, spring onions, garlic, and cucumber into a smooth puree.
• Slowly drizzle in olive oil, pulsing in between additions; add vinegar, pulse once more.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste; for an authentic flavour, you might want to add a little more minced garlic rather than a large amount of salt and pepper.
• Transfer to bowl; cover and chill for at least two hours to allow all the flavours to blend.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil over medium heat and fry the bread cubes for a few minutes until golden and crisp; drain on kitchen towels.
• Ladle the gazpacho into bowls.
• Drizzle with olive oil and grind fresh black pepper on top.
• Set all of the toppings into separate small bowls so that guests may serve themselves however much they like.
• Enjoy!