Best Cooks Illustrated Creamy Gazpacho Andaluz Recipes

GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

Steps:

• Put the bread in a bowl and add water to cover. Let soak for 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze out the water and place the bread in a blender container (or, if using a hand-held blender, into a mixing bowl) with the garlic. Blend until the bread and garlic are smooth.
• To seed the tomatoes: cut out the stem and core, then cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Either spoon out the seeds or else squeeze the tomatoes through a sieve placed over a bowl. The seeds will squeeze out; the juice will collect in the bowl. It is then ready to be added to the gazpacho as pulp.
• Add the tomato pulp to the bread and garlic, and puree. Add the cumin and salt and, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow stream. As the oil is incorporated, the gazpacho will turn from red tomato-juice to a paler, peacher color. Blend in the vinegar. Thin the gazpacho with water to the desired consistency.
• Place the blended contents in a tureen, bowl or pitcher. Chill until serving time.
• Place each of the garnishes in separate small bowls or on a divided relish dish and pass them around the table when the gazpacho is served. Each person can add their desired spoonfuls on to their gazpacho.
• This gazpacho can also be served, thinned with additional water, in tall glasses for sipping, without the garnishes.

CLASSIC ANDALUSIAN GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Soak bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry, discarding soaking water.
• Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large knife). Blend garlic paste, bread, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, cumin, and half of tomatoes in a food processor until tomatoes are very finely chopped. Add remaining tomatoes with motor running and, when very finely chopped, gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.
• Force soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly on solids. Discard solids.
• Transfer to a glass container and chill, covered, until cold, about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar before serving.

GAZPACHO

Steps:

• 1. In a bowl, reserve 2 tablespoons each of the tomato, cucumber, pepper, and onion to garnish.
• 2. In the food processor or blender, purée the remaining ingredients (except the croutons) until smooth, adjusting the seasoning to taste with lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper.
• 3. Cover and chill thoroughly, at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. Adjust the consistency as desired with water. Serve in chilled bowls garnished with the reserved vegetables and croutons.

CREAMY GAZPACHO

Steps:

• Place the bread in a large bowl. Pour the reserved tomato juice over the stale bread and set it aside for at least 10 minutes. Not only will this soften the bread, but also infuse it with the tomato flavor.
• In a food processor or a powerful blender, add all of the chopped vegetables. Puree the vegetables until they start to breakdown.
• Add the bread and the sherry vinegar to the blender. Turn the blender on and stream in the olive oil. Puree the mixture until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the consistency is too thick, add water or more vinegar if you like, to adjust the thickness. Place the gazpacho into the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to marry with one another.
• Serve the gazpacho in glasses, like they do in Spain, or you can serve it in bowls if you prefer.
• Cook's Notes: To make your gazpacho spicier, add some of the ribs and seeds from the jalapeno. You can adjust the oil and vinegar in this recipe to make it tangier if you like!
• Gazpacho gets better the longer that it sits.

CREAMY GAZPACHO ANDALUZ

Steps:

• Roughly chop 2 pounds of tomatoes, half of cucumber, half of bell pepper, and half of onion and place in large bowl. Add garlic, chile, and 1½ teaspoons salt; toss until well combined. Set aside.
• Cut remaining tomatoes, cucumber, and pepper into ¼-inch dice; place vegetables in medium bowl. Mince remaining onion and add to diced vegetables. Toss with ½ teaspoon salt and transfer to fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl. Set aside 1 hour.
• Transfer drained diced vegetables to medium bowl and set aside. Add bread pieces to exuded liquid (there should be about ¼ cup) and soak 1 minute. Add soaked bread and any remaining liquid to roughly chopped vegetables and toss thoroughly to combine.
• Transfer half of vegetable-bread mixture to blender and process 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup oil and continue to blend until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain soup through fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, using back of ladle or rubber spatula to press soup through strainer. Repeat with remaining vegetable-bread mixture and 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Stir vinegar, minced herb, and half of diced vegetables into soup and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to chill completely and develop flavors. Serve, passing remaining diced vegetables, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper separately.
• Note: If kosher salt is not available, half the amount of table salt can be used.