Gazpacho is the perfect light option to substitute into your summer diet.

What happens in summer when you can’t fathom the idea of eating soup because the temperature outside makes that notion impossible? You eat gazpacho, of course!

HISTORY

Andalucia is a privince form Spain which has, the country-side and the seacoast--and represented by gazpacho from the country and pescados fritos (fried fish) from the sea. Gazpacho is a liquid salad from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, made of ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and bread moistened with water that is blended with olive oil, vinegar, and ice water and served cold. It is Andalusia's best known dish and probably originated as a soup during the time when Spain was part of the Islamic world in the Middle Ages.

An American cookbook published in 1963 tells us that "gazpacho, the soup-salad of Spain, has become an American food fashion." The author, Betty Wason, goes on to tells us that in Mary Randolph's The Virginia Housewife published in 1824, there is a recipe for gazpacho.

The origin of the word gazpacho is uncertain, but etymologists believe it might be derived from the Mozarab word caspa, meaning "residue" or "fragments," an allusion to the small pieces of bread and vegetables in a gazpacho soup. On the other hand, it may be a pre-Roman Iberian word modified by the Arabic.

RECIPE

When it comes to gazpacho, everyone likes to add different ingredients and spices. The recipe below is a basic starting point. I like to add a tablespoon of olive oil to each serving, but other people have used fresh lime juice, sherry, vinegar and liquors to finish the dish.

If a spicy soup is desired, double the jalapeno and add a dash of cayenne pepper sauce. I chop extra vegetables so they can be used as garnish for those who want.

10-14 medium tomatoes skinned, seeded and minced
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 red onion minced
1 jalapeno diced fine
1/2 cucumber chopped fine
1/2 green pepper chopped fine
2 tbsp basil cut into small thin ribbons
1 lemon
1 lime
Salt/pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

In the glass of the mixer we introduce the tomatoes cut into four pieces, the peppers, the cucumber and the cloves of garlic. We grind everything well.

Add bread, salt and a stream of olive oil and vinegar. We grind again. Try the mixture and rectify the fist of salt and vinegar to taste.

Place in the refrigerator to rest for at least two hours, until you are ready to serve.

Serve topped with chopped veggie.

Nutrition information for the entire recipe: 340 calories, 2grams of fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 70 grams carbohydrates, 20grams of dietary fiber, 15 grams of protein, 1500 milligrams of sodium.

Enjoy the soup and your free time!

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ: THE FAMOUS SPANISH RECIPE

Gazpacho is the perfect light option to substitute into your summer diet.

What happens in summer when you can’t fathom the idea of eating soup because the temperature outside makes that notion impossible? You eat gazpacho, of course!

HISTORY

RECIPE