4 Ways with Gazpacho

I admit; I was not the biggest fan of gazpacho. I was one of those people who couldn’t stand the idea of ladling a cold, salsa-like soup into her mouth with a spoon instead of with requisite tortilla chips. But when a friend made a gazpacho recipe from one of my favorite American cookbook authors and Food Network hosts, The Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten, I became somewhat hooked on mastering my own gazpacho. I’ve long admired Garten for her process and her precision and her relative ease of execution when it comes to entertaining. (Note to Ms. Garten: If you ever decided to invite me to your gorgeous Hamptons abode for a meal, I would literally cancel everything on my calendar, and turn up as fast as possible.) Regardless of my food crush, I did not fall immediately in love with her gazpacho. No. But it gave me the confidence to delve into creating my very own gazpachos con gusto.

Technically speaking, gazpacho is a cold vegetable soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain, and has a history dating back to the Moors. It’s a popular dish to consume in the summer months, when the heat can often be oppressive. While traditionally gazpacho is meant to be a blended mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bread and vinegar, I prefer to keep my gazpacho chunky, more common in practice in places like Portugal. I also like my bread separate and apart from the soup, served as garlic-laced, crispy nuggets that give substance to a light meal.

There are many variations of gazpacho now, both in Spain and throughout the world. Ingredients such as avocado, mango, dried fruits, grilled shrimp, almonds, and grapes have been played with. There is even a hot version in the Spanish region of La Mancha known as gazpacho manchego, made with game and, sometimes, mushrooms. Now, when the weather is getting hotter and those swimsuits begin to come out, I cannot think of a more satisfying meal to share with my family (and maybe, one day, my famous food personality best friend) than these non-traditional gazpachos.

And now, just in time for National Gazpacho Aficionado Month, four creative takes on the Spanish classic…

Classic Gazpacho 

• 1 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 4 slices white bread or small baguette, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces roma tomatoes (about 4)
• 1 hothouse cucumber
• 1 small onion 

Get the full recipe. 

Green Gazpacho 

• 1 pound tomatillos, peeled and rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic
• juice from two limes
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 green peppers
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 avocados
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Get the full recipe. 

Fruit Gazpacho 

• 4 ounces each chopped pineapple and mango
• juice from two limes
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons sugar or honey
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces each diced pineapple, mango and strawberries
• 2 tablespoons minced mint (basil would work too)
• Tortilla strips or crumbled cookies

Get the full recipe. 

Gazpacho with Shrimp, Cucumber, and Salmon Roe