Gazpacho Recipe

Gazpacho is the "edible emblem" of Andalusia, the region in Spain where it originated, says Anya von Bremzen, author of The New Spanish Table. Tracing its history, Von Bremzen notes that gazpacho did not become widely popular in Europe until the mid-19th century, when Napoleon III's wife, Eugenia de Montijo, who was born in Andalusia, brought it to France. However, the classic soup has existed for centuries, and many regional variations of the recipe remain. Today red tomatoes tend to star in the soup, but tomatoes were not included in the mix until the 1500s, when Columbus and his crew are said to have brought them to Spain.

Although some gazpacho recipes do include bread in the soup as a thickener, Felder does not consider it necessary in this version; the soup has a lovely, substantial texture from the vegetables on their own. Instead, Felder adds the bread in the form of crisp garlic-flavored croutons—tiny cubes of stale bread sautéed in garlic-infused olive oil that are insanely delicious on their own—as a garnish at the end, along with more of the finely chopped vegetables. And if you can remember to think ahead, serving the soup in chilled bowls makes it extra-special.

The etymology of the word gazpacho is controversial, but Von Bremzen suggests that it most likely derives from the Mozarabic [Mozararabs were Spanish Christians living under Muslim rule in the 8th to 11th centuries] word caspa, which means "fragments" and refers to the broken-up bread crumbs, or from the Hebrew gazaz, to break into pieces.

yield
Makes 8 servings
This tangy marriage of fresh tomato, cucumber, pepper, and onion is a summer favorite. The flavor of gazpacho improves if allowed to chill overnight, but thereafter this soup has a short shelf life because the tomatoes sour very quickly. It this best prepared no more than a day or two before it will be eaten.

ingredients

• 3 cups finely diced plum tomatoes, juices reserved
• 2 cups finely diced cucumbers, peeled and seeded
• 1 1/4 cups finely diced onion
• 1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced fresh herbs (tarragon, thyme, or parsley)
• 3 cups canned tomato juice
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or as needed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, or as needed
• 1/4 tsp salt, or as needed
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or as needed
• 1 cup tiny croutons
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced chives or scallion greens

preparation

1. Reserve 2 tablespoons each of the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and pepper for the garnish.

2. Puree the remaining tomato, cucumber, onion, and pepper in a food processor or blender along with the garlic, tomato paste, olive oil, and herbs until fairly smooth but with some texture remaining.

3. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl. Stir in the tomato juice, the red wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Season with salt and cayenne to taste. Cover and chill thoroughly, at least 3 hours but preferably overnight.

4. After chilling, check the seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve in chilled bowls, garnished with the reserved vegetables, croutons, and chives.

making this recipe yoursIf the soup is too thin for your taste, add about 1 cup of freshly made white bread crumbs before chilling. If it's too thick, the consistency can be thinned by adding more tomato juice or water. Part of the tomato juice can be replaced with fish broth or clam juice. If desired.