National symbols of any country are first and foremostits anthem and flag are among them. However, are these the attributes that a tourist who has visited a particular place remembers? Of course not! For example, when Spain is mentioned, images of bullfighters, bullfights and passionate flamenco dancers probably pop up in the minds of almost every person. Speaking of food, one of the most popular dishes created by Spanish chefs is gazpacho. Despite the hot temperament of the inhabitants of this country, the dish is usually served cold. Perhaps this is due to the fact that with the beginning of the spring-summer season, the thermometer there rises well above 20 degrees. Gazpacho not only satisfies hunger, but also saves from the heat. To try this incredibly appetizing dish, it is absolutely not necessary to fly to Spain. Today, you can try it in a specialized restaurant, but such a pleasure will cost you a pretty penny. To save money and at the same time get to know Spanish cuisine better, we suggest making gazpacho yourself. Just choose the appropriate recipe presented on our website and cook the dish at home. You will see, it is very simple.
Cold gazpacho from hot Spaniards
Classic tomato soup thatis widespread not only in Spain, but also far beyond its borders, consists of fresh tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, cucumbers and other vegetables. It is served as a first course, only if in Russia such dishes are eaten hot, then gazpacho is traditionally served cold. However, this only makes it better. So, if you want to get acquainted with the cuisine of sunny and passionate Spain, we suggest studying the first recipe. This classic version of the dish will surely appeal to all members of your family: both adults and young people. Ingredients:
- three medium cloves of garlic
- 350-400 grams of large tomatoes
- two small cucumbers (the recipe includes exclusively fresh vegetables)
- two red bell peppers - preferably (if they are not, you can add ordinary green pepper to gazpacho)
- one onion
- ten milliliters of wine vinegar
- three large spoons of not very bitter olive oil
- table salt - to taste
- fifteen grams of fresh parsley
- a pinch of black pepper
- 30-40 grams of rye bread - needed for crackers
Method of preparation:In Russia, the most common cold soup is okroshka. In Spain, there is a similar dish without meat or sausage, consisting of only vegetables - it is called gazpacho. Of course, these dishes are completely different both in taste and in ingredients, but at the same time they still have something in common - for example, both are very easy to cook. Vegetable soups are incredibly healthy and vitaminized, besides, they not only nourish the body, but also cool it down perfectly. What else do you need on a hot and sultry day? So study the recipe carefully and get to know the Spanish cuisine with us. To make gazpacho tender and appetizing, we recommend peeling the tomatoes. It is easy to do: lightly cut the top of each tomato, then dip them in boiling water for half a minute. Then take them out, pour cold water over them and carefully peel off the skin. Cut the pulp into small cubes, whether to get rid of the seeds or not, decide for yourself. Classic gazpacho is made with red pepper, but if you don’t have any in the fridge, use regular green pepper. Remove the core and chop into medium pieces, cut the cucumbers in the same way. Less than ten minutes have passed, and the preparation of the dish is already nearing completion. So, put the pre-prepared vegetables in a blender bowl. Add garlic and onion, peeled and diced. Add a little salt to taste, if you like spicy food, we recommend lightly peppering the dish (use red or black ground pepper). Whisk the ingredients. Now combine olive oil with wine vinegar in a separate bowl, pour the resulting mixture into the above products. Mix thoroughly again. Transfer the soup to a deep saucepan and put it in the refrigerator. On average, gazpacho is infused for about three to four hours. We think you are now convinced that the recipe for tomato soup is ridiculously simple. If you wish, you can vary the classic version a little, for example, add your favorite dried spices; basil and marjoram leaves are ideal for fresh ones. Keep in mind that the dish is very thick, similar to a semi-liquid puree. If you want to dilute the soup a little, you can use chilled tomato juice or water for this. The dish is served with croutons, for the preparation of which you need to cut the bread into cubes of the same size, salt them and sprinkle with dried spices, then fry in a dry frying pan. No need to add oil. There is another option - bake the bread in the oven. And immediately before serving, pour the soup into bowls and decorate with finely chopped herbs and croutons. Feel like a native Spaniard - try an appetizing, cool gazpacho. We hope you like the recipe.
Vegetable Spanish soup with olives and lemon juice
This recipe is perfect forvegetarians. The dish we are going to talk about right now turns out to be incredibly tender, light, but at the same time nutritious and full of vitamins. After all, the dish contains only fresh vegetables: ripe tomatoes, cilantro, cucumbers, celery and others. Meat lovers will probably start to express their dissatisfaction - they say, what kind of soup is it without beef, pork and even without pieces of chicken. Then you just haven't tried gazpacho. Thick tomato puree, seasoned with a sauce of lemon juice and olive oil, combined with garlic, onions and olives - this is a real extravaganza of various tastes and aromas. The homeland of the dish is considered to be distant Andalusia. This country has quite hot summers, so gazpacho is well cooled before serving. By the way, croutons made of rye or white bread are specially prepared for it. Well, are you interested? Then let's go together on a fascinating journey through the nooks and crannies of Spanish cuisine. The cooking procedure will take twenty minutes at most, but the result will definitely please you. Ingredients: For the soup:
- kilograms of strong, ripe tomatoes
- Bulgarian pepper (choose red) - 300 grams
- 500 grams of fresh cucumber
- 18 milliliters of olive oil
- ½ lemon (only juice will be needed)
- garlic - to taste (usually enough about two or three denticles)
- 100 grams of white onion
- 50 grams of celeriac greens
- fifteen pieces of olives (preferably pitted)
- ten grams of cilantro
- four large pinches of salt (orient to your taste)
- freshly ground black pepper
For the croutons:
- several pieces of rye loaf
- Dried seasonings (for example, rosemary or basil) - to taste
- a tablespoon of olive oil or other vegetable oil
Method of preparation: Сказать, что существует единственный и неповторимый рецепт ароматного гаспачо, будет не совсем верно. Ведь сколько хозяек, столько и блюд. Есть, конечно, классический вариант кушанья, которому присущ определенный состав продуктов, однако по мере своего развития испанская кухня модернизировалась, повара придумывали новые сочетания, каждый вносил в блюдо свою «изюминку». Таким образом на сегодняшний день миру известно более тридцати разновидностей томатного супа. Давайте рассмотрим одну из них. Гаспачо готовится очень быстро, вы не потратите и получаса, так что внимательно читайте рецепт и засекайте время. Суп делают из очищенных помидоров, тогда он получается очень нежным и похожим на овощное пюре. Опытные хозяйки знают способ, как без труда снять с помидоров кожуру, однако далеко не каждый новичок владеет этим секретом. Поделимся им с вами. Итак, сделайте крестообразный надрез сверху каждого томата, потом поочередно погрузите их сначала в горячую, а потом в холодную воду. Вы заметите, что кожица отошла — это происходит вследствие резкого перепада температур. Аккуратно снимите ее, а оставшуюся мякоть порубите на крупные кусочки. Очищенные огурцы порежьте соломкой, если необходимо, удалите из них семечки. Теперь займемся красным перцем: вырежьте из него сердцевину, потом разделайте кубиками. Снимите шелуху с лука и чеснока, нашинкуйте каждый продукт как можно мельче. Кстати, некоторые овощи нужно оставить целыми, поэтому отложите по одному перцу, помидору и огурцу. Остальные высыпьте в блендер и размельчите. Если у вас нет кухонного комбайна, воспользуйтесь обычной мясорубкой. Порубите свежую кинзу и сельдерей. Любите петрушку или укроп? Смело добавляйте их в блюдо. Теперь в отдельную миску вылейте ½ стакана холодной воды, свежевыжатый лимонный сок, на свой вкус всыпьте пару щепоток соли и специй. Тщательно перемешайте ложкой, чтобы все ингредиенты растворились, затем полученную жидкость введите в овощное пюре, которое ранее взбивали в блендере. Не забывайте про масло: добавьте его в блюдо, потом еще несколько раз взбейте. Оставшийся огурец, перец, а также помидор порежьте на средние кубики, переложите их в глубокую кастрюлю и залейте полученным томатным пюре. Перемешайте и уберите гаспачо в холодное место. Вот и весь рецепт, согласитесь, очень просто, а насколько вкусно, узнаете чуть позже. Как только суп настоится — примерно через два часа — разлейте его по пиалам. Затем украсьте каждую порцию свежей зеленью и оливками. Из последних, если нужно, заранее достаньте косточки. Если вы хотите сразу же подать гостям свежеприготовленное кушанье, введите в него несколько кубиков льда. Тогда не придется ждать, пока оно охладится. И напоследок еще один нюанс: традиционно блюдо ставят на стол вместе с чашей, наполненной сухариками. Конечно, можно использовать магазинный продукт, но будет вкуснее, если сделаете его самостоятельно, тем более что это займет минимум времени. Порубите хлеб небольшими кубиками, потом выложите его на покрытый пергаментом противень, сбрызните оливковым маслом, для аромата посыпьте специями и на несколько минут отпарьте в духовой шкаф. Сухарики запекаются при температуре 190-200 градусов. Когда они подрумянятся, достаньте их из печи, остудите и подавайте к супу. Приятного аппетита!
Fruit gazpacho: the perfect classic
Here is another traditional recipe for something unusualSpanish soup that will appeal to fruit lovers. This time, classic tomatoes will be replaced by apples. When going to the store, we recommend choosing sweet and sour varieties, and you will also need peanuts. The latter can be replaced with walnuts or, for example, almonds, if necessary. Believe me, this dish is quite unusual and specific in taste, but there should be room for experiments in life. So why not start acting right now? Feel like a resident of Spain for a few minutes - prepare a delicate gazpacho. Good luck! This time you will not need croutons - the dish is served without them. Ingredients:
- homemade egg
- a loaf of white, fresh bread or a loaf
- 140 milliliters of olive oil
- 380 grams of peeled apples
- fifteen grams of garlic
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice - six tablespoons
- salt
- one and a half glasses of purified water (it should be cool)
- 70 grams of fried peanuts
Method of preparation:First, carefully cut off the crust from the bread and crumble the remaining pulp, then pour in water. When it softens, squeeze it thoroughly and put it in a blender bowl. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them using a special press. Then, in a separate bowl, combine the ingredient with the egg and beat, actively working with a whisk. Pour the resulting mixture into the blender, add oil drop by drop, salt and, if desired, season with spices. A little more, and the dish will be ready. Now add lemon juice to the previous ingredients, it must be freshly squeezed, so carefully squeeze it out of the fruit. Beat the products at maximum power for three to four minutes. As a result, you should get a thick and homogeneous mass. If the soup seems too thick, dilute it with a small amount of cool water. Now it's time to serve the dish. Peel the peanuts and fry them in a frying pan or saucepan without adding oil. Do the same with walnuts. Now crush the ingredient with a hammer or mortar, or use a food processor. Peel the apples, remove the core, and then chop them into thin slices. To prevent them from darkening, lightly sprinkle with lemon juice. Sprinkle each serving of gazpacho with peanuts and garnish with fruit. There are many variations on the theme of Spanish soup. The chefs of this country who worked on its creation deserve credit - the dish turned out great. Over time, it even became a kind of symbol of Spain, because many tourists visiting these places consider it their duty to go to a national restaurant and try the local soup. There are many options for its preparation, and each recipe deserves praise. The classic dish is tomatoes, greens and cucumbers, chopped and dressed with olive oil. Deviating slightly from tradition, you can add a little lemon juice, celery, dried or fresh spices, which will give the dish a unique aroma. For those who prefer culinary experiments, a more original gazpacho with fruity notes will do. Modern masters often cook it with apples, a very appetizing and popular option is tomato soup with strawberries. With us, you will learn a lot more interesting things. We will teach you to cook the most expensive and exquisite and more economical and modest dishes of Spanish and other cuisines of the world.