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Home » Recipes » Soup

Published: Aug 1, 2011 · Modified: Oct 7, 2019 by Nancy · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

Spanish Gazpacho

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a refreshing cold soup, spanish gazpacho is flavored with roasted peppers, smoked paprika and sherry. I'm b-a-a-a-c-k!!!!!

And Texas did not disappoint - it was HOT! Well, at least to this native Southern Californian. Having never lived more than a mile from the beach I am just not used to temps over 90 degrees. Now,   occasionally the mercury rebels and goes outside of it's normal 60 - 80 degree range here  - and like any self respecting Southern Californian, I do my fair share of complaining... and then of course figure out how to deal with it sans air conditioning.

Growing up, whenever the mercury headed into the 90 degree range, my mother's solution was to make gazpacho - it not only cooled everyone down but it also made great use of the excess tomato harvest. Over the years my mother made several different kinds - a chunky style laden with cucumbers, onions, cilantro, garlic and lime and a smooth version that she flavored with sherry and almonds. I always loved both and over the years have played with and tweaked both of her recipes.

When the August issue of Bon Appetit magazine came out and I saw the recipe for Salmorejo I was intrigued since I had never heard that name before in all the years I've eaten and made this soup.  Going back to my mother's recipe, it was simply called "Smooth Gazpacho" and to this day I have no idea where it came from. Her  version did not call for toasted bread to thicken the soup and so, inspired by the recipe in Bon Appetit I tried adding it to my version and loved the result which I'm calling Spanish Gazpacho - and I hope you do too!

This soup is great to pair with a big salad and some crusty bread for lunch or dinner and works really well as a starter. It also works great as an hors d'oeuvre - just pour it into shot glasses!!!

📖Recipe

a refreshing cold soup, spanish gazpacho is flavored with roasted peppers, smoked paprika and sherry.

Spanish Style Gazpacho

Cool, creamy and refreshing, this Spanish gazpacho is made for summer.. and summer entertaining!
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Spanish
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 375kcal
Author: Nancy Buchanan

Ingredients

  • 4 large ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and grated
  • ½ cup roasted pequillo peppers I used Melissa's
  • 4 slices toasted sliced white sandwich bread, crusts removed
  • 4 cloves of garlic peeled
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 1  to 1 ½ Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar   to taste
  • ¼ cup canola oil or ½ spanish olive oil and half canola
  • salt and white pepper to taste

Garnish (optional)

  • 4 oz. manchego cheese
  • 2 - 3 oz. Serrano ham
  • 4 bamboo skewers

Instructions

  • Seed the tomatoes and, using the large holes of a box grater, grate the tomatoes over a large bowl, making sure to catch all the juices.
  • Transfer the tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add the pequillo peppers, bread, garlic, almonds and 1 Tbsp. of sherry vinegar. Season with salt and white pepper. Blend the soup for about 3 minutes until finely pureed. With food processor/blender running, drizzle in the oil.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Refrigerate until cold and serve.

For garnish, cut manchego cheese into ½ inch cubes. Slice serrano ham into ½ inch wide strips and fold strips into ½ inch wide squares. Skewer a cube of cheese, a piece of serrano ham and another cube of manchego cheese. These can be made several hours ahead, covered and refrigerated.

    Recipe Notes

    ou can of course skip grating the tomatoes and just puree the whole tomato. I prefer the texture of the soup without the skin. Grating the tomatoes allows you to remove the skin without having to put the tomatoes into boiling water to peel them and preserves their fresh flavor. You can of course, blanch the tomatoes and peel them if you wish!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1260IU | Vitamin C: 30.6mg | Calcium: 315mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    YOU KNOW I WANT TO SEE IT!Mention @Acommunaltable or tag #acommunaltable!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. louise says

      August 01, 2011 at 8:54 pm

      5 stars
      nancy, you have such a beautiful eye for food and photography- really enjoy looking at your work, pretty pretty. glad to hear you are having a lovely summer.
      louise

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:45 pm

        Thank you Louise!! Since I drool over your photos that means a lot to me!! Hope all is going well with the Fair!

        Reply
    2. lisaiscooking says

      August 02, 2011 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      Hope you had a great time in Texas! Sorry about our horrible heat. I'm counting the days until October when it might cool down a little. Your gazpacho looks like a perfect soup for hot days. The piquillo peppers and bread for thickening sound great!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:44 pm

        Hi Lisa!!
        It was definitely hot by So Cal standards! I loved the pequillo peppers in this - a nice little pop of heat!

        Reply
    3. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

      August 03, 2011 at 2:40 am

      Love those garnishes! A great party appetizer.

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:43 pm

        Thanks Sylvie!! Served this at a party recently and everyone loved it.

        Reply
    4. Judy says

      August 03, 2011 at 5:23 am

      Gazpacho is one of those things I wish I like more, it always looks so lovely. Maybe I just haven't tried the right one ...

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:42 pm

        Hi Judy!!

        If you like tomato soup, you would probably like this one!!

        Reply
    5. Lucy Lean says

      August 03, 2011 at 2:01 pm

      Yum! Bring some on the boat tomorrow?!!! Looking forward to seeing you bright and early.

      Reply
    6. Allison [Girl's Guide to Social Media] says

      August 03, 2011 at 4:14 pm

      Welcome back. We missed you!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:42 pm

        Awww.... thanks Allison. It is good to be back!

        Reply
    7. Marla {family fresh cooking} says

      August 03, 2011 at 4:37 pm

      Oh how I love a great gazpacho - but what has me here are those cute skewers you put on top. This makes this chilled soup extra special 🙂

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:39 pm

        Thanks Marla!! The skewers are fun and this makes a great little appetizer!

        Reply
    8. the urban baker says

      August 03, 2011 at 7:24 pm

      I love spanish gazpacho and your photos make me yearn for Spain. I love the little foodie accessories at the top of your glass. I need to come to your house to get a little bite of Spain...beautiful photos, Nancy!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:38 pm

        Thanks Susan!! Spain is definitely on my bucket list - may have to wait until we are through the college years though ... I thought kids were expensive before this but wow, college is pricey!

        Reply
    9. Kristen says

      August 03, 2011 at 7:40 pm

      TX is hot, isn't it? Just such a different kind of hot!
      This gazpacho looks delicious and I love the photos!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:37 pm

        Thanks Kristen!! Yeah, it's gonna be an adjustment for him since our weather generally stays between 60-80 degrees. College is definitely a learning experience in more ways than one!

        Reply
    10. Magic of Spice says

      August 04, 2011 at 12:12 pm

      Wonderful recipe! Love that gorgeous color, interesting addition with the bread...will have to try it 🙂

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:35 pm

        Thanks!! The bread makes a difference - gives the soup a bit more texture and heft - and a great way to use up a little extra bread!

        Reply
    11. Georgia Pellegrini says

      August 04, 2011 at 8:06 pm

      The color of this is breathtaking! I've never seen a color that bright for gazpacho before : )

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 08, 2011 at 3:34 pm

        Hi Georgia!!

        Thank you!! I didn't even boost the color in the photograph -that is really what it looks like!

        Reply
    12. Lana says

      August 09, 2011 at 3:44 pm

      What a perfect summer dish! And I love the name Salmorejo (I studied Italian in college and I appreciate the melody of the words, Spanish included). I am drowning myself in heirloom tomatoes here in Serbia, and I just wonder if my parents would embrace this gazpacho:)
      Great photo!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 11, 2011 at 11:14 am

        Hi Lana!

        Hope you are having fun with your family! I agree with you - the word Salmorejo is beautiful - and I can even say it!!! I bet your parents would like it - if they like tomato soup they definitely would!

        Reply
    13. Deborah Dowd says

      August 12, 2011 at 3:33 am

      This looks amazing, and I love the shot glass idea! Perfect for a summer party.

      Reply
    14. Carolyn Jung says

      August 12, 2011 at 9:02 am

      This would be great for a party. So glam looking. And who can resist summer tomatoes in a refreshing sip like this?

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        August 13, 2011 at 9:54 am

        Hi Carolyn!!

        I served these at a recent party and they were a big hit - and the summer tomatoes do "make" this dish!! Thank you for stopping by the Table!!

        Reply
    15. Angie @ Bigbearswife says

      September 08, 2011 at 12:44 pm

      That picture is beautiful! bet the food is great too!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        September 08, 2011 at 6:03 pm

        Thanks Angie!! Very simple cake but the fruit makes it!

        Reply
    16. miguel says

      July 11, 2012 at 2:33 pm

      Hi Nancy,
      your post is promising, but I think you should call it "spanish fantasy" gazpacho. In fact is a mix of the three best known andalusian cold soups: gazpacho, salmorejo and ajoblanco; plus a "tapa" of spanish delicacies, one of which usually goes with salmorejo. Not bad, really, but is far from what you can call a spanish gazpacho. Aaah... by the way, NO CANOLA OIL, just extra virgin olive oil, andalusian or sicilian, and a tip: a bit of cumin. Congratulations.

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        July 16, 2012 at 1:38 pm

        Hi Miguel,

        Thanks so much for your feedback... and you are right it's isn't a "traditional gazpacho in any way, shape or form... but it is good and that I think is what counts!!!

        Reply

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