Cold or Warm Gazpacho, a typical Spanish tapas, is a fresh vegetarian appetizer that pairs well with hot summer weather: it can also be consumed as a beverage. In either case, the delight of this preparation remains unchanged, so much so that, in the end, you’ll always have a supply ready in the refrigerator. However, do not underestimate the fact that it can also be consumed warm, this time on cold winter days. Simply pour it into a saucepan, cook it for about ten minutes, and serve it with toasted bread, rather than bruschetta, that is, rubbed with extra virgin olive oil.
If you like appetizers, take a look at the following recipes:
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 21 oz tomato pulp/chunky tomatoes
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 medium green bell pepper
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 100 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 small red onion
- 1 medium-large garlic clove
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt and pepper
- 6 slices bread
Tools
- 1 Blender
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Plastic Wrap
How to Prepare Cold or Warm Gazpacho
To prepare cold or warm Gazpacho, it takes such little time that you can get started even at the last moment.
However, it’s important that all ingredients are well-chilled, including the tomato pulp. If you prefer it warm, then this precaution is not needed.
Wash the bell pepper and cucumber well, dry them, and peel the onion and garlic. In this case, the cucumber does not need to be peeled, but remove the seeds from the bell pepper when you cut it in half. Once the vegetables are ready, chop them into pieces.
Place the chopped vegetables in the blender and immediately add the tomato pulp and vinegar.
Continue by adding the extra virgin olive oil, salt, and a fresh grind of pepper, or add whole peppercorns.
At this point, all that’s left is to close the blender with the lid, and blend everything as finely as possible.
Put the obtained Gazpacho in a pitcher, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
In the meantime, we can take care of the toasted bread: dice the bread slices and toast them for just a few minutes in the oven, on the crispi setting, or in a non-stick pan.
If you prefer it more bruschetta-like and flavorful, then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over it before cooking.
Serve our Cold or Warm Gazpacho, very cold in deep, single-serving bowls, with a side of toasted bread.
Tips and Storage
You can store the Gazpacho for a few days in the refrigerator, preferably in a glass container with an airtight seal.
Also in the same pitcher, sealed with plastic wrap.
If you want to use Gazpacho as a fresh drink, simply dilute it with cold water.
Choppers or food processors are not suitable for this recipe, as they won’t blend the vegetables properly; the blender, however, is ideal.
