What’s Up With Gazpacho? Here’s a Quick Recipe

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Gazpacho is far more commonly enjoyed than its exotic name somewhat implies. It’s a cold soup made of raw, blended veggies, and it’s a staple in Spanish cuisine originating in the southern region of Andalusia. While it’s widely eaten in countries like Spain and Portugal, especially during hot summers, it’s also eaten in the United States as refreshing comfort food.

Gazpacho recipes traditionally involve stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, water, and salt. The vegetables are pounded in a mortar with a pestle, but today its smooth consistency is achieved using blenders and food processors. Gazpacho may also be served with garnishes such as hard boiled eggs and chopped almonds.

Now it’s the summer time and one can do away with traditional gazpacho and try a new twist to the classic. It’s called watermelon gazpacho, and the recipe calls for seedless watermelon, heirloom tomatoes, skinned cucumber, red onion, and Yuzu juice. Add all ingredients to a blender with 2-3 cubes of ice and blend on medium. Slowly drizzle in some quality extra virgin olive oil, add about ¼ c, salt to taste, and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.

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Now it’s shrimp time, a great way to complement the gazpacho. Mix Yuzu Koshu, minced garlic, onion, apple cider vinegar, and EVOO. Toss peeled and cleaned shrimp, and let marinate in the fridge for around an hour. Plate, serve with fennel greens, and add a drizzle of EVOO. Add some flaky sea salt while at it. Enjoy!

Eva Lovia shares her love for food and cooking through her blog page MadeWithLovia.com, and her Twitch page MadeWithLovia. While her pages mostly focus on food, Eva is working on more lifestyle and travel entries. Read more recipes on this blog.