Review from Spain. Only Red Bell Pepper is missed for a true Gazpacho Andaluz. Also when all ingredients are blended and liquified most times you don't need to add any water or bread crumbs because the vegetables give the accurate density; water and bread are used only for change density to more liquid or more thick otherwise they are not used.
I am from Spain and this is a close as a real gazpacho recipe...no spices..no shrimps..the real thing!
Excellent recipe! And true to its originis especially in its use of good crusty stale bread and in its omission of many ingredients that have nothing to do with the authentic recipe. I am originally from Spain and live there part of the year so my rating is based upon native knowledge. One must add that it is impossible to create a good gazpacho using grocery store blah tomatoes. This recipe calls for the very best juiciest tastiest tomatoes one can find usually from a hothouse or family farm. Thank you for including it it jogged my memory and I will use it as soon as my tomatoes are ready to be picked.
This is a great gazpacho recipe. My mother-in-law is Spanish and she always made this for my husband. This is the first time I have made it that he has been satisfied as to its authenticity. BUT don't add so much water!! I didn't add any water just some ice (in the blender) to make it cold rather than room temperature. Otherwise the flavor will be too watered down and the consistency will be too liquidy.
As I have been limited by the available publishing space here is the follow-up to my recipe it's nothing without the following serving instructions. On the side in separate bowls for self-service: Small diced green bell pepper - Small diced red bell pepper - Small diced yellow bell pepper; Small diced cucumber; Quartered sun-ripened organic red cherry or grape tomatoes; Quartered sun-ripened organic yellow cherry or grape tomatoes. (All above ingredients must be chilled and served at the last minute.) Small cubes of loaf stale French bread lightly pan-browned in olive oil - Ice cubes to be stirred in slightly to dilute the soup plate (refreshing and a nice visual effect) And a carafe of olive oil. I recommend the Catalan Estornell; widely available in the U.S.A. the label has a starling bird on it it's made from Arbequinas a mild sweet olive variety though climate altitude weather conditions and lots of other factors determine the flavor - or the Andalucian family's four groves around Baena in the Cordoba province production of Núñez de Prado Flor de Aceite their numbered bottles are available at Dean and Deluca; both these first cold-pressing organic extra virgin oils are pricey though not insanely so but in my opinion are the best table (not for cooking) Spanish olive oils.! Buen apetito! J.P.G. The recipe makes 8 cups of soup (7 servings).
Just what I was looking for - an authentic Spanish recipe. I used about 1/3 bread and no water (except to soak the bread in) as the tomatoes and the cucumber were watery enough for my taste but this may vary from time to time during the season. After 6 hours in the fridge during a hot day it was perfect (and wonderful to be finished with preparing the evening meal before noon!).
I too should have read the reviews before following this recipe. I followed it closely... and am left with a vat of pink bread mush with a slight gazpacho-like perfume. I plan to carry it for my lunch at the office this week topping each serving off with an additional hit of wine vinegar to supply missing "zing " but I'm not sure I will be able to stomach it for five days! Very disappointing... and such a waste of tomatoes! I have had gazpacho in Spain and so was not surprised to see bread as a component... but I should have known better than to make it such a LARGE component!
To my taste this recipe has too much water and too much bread. Some recipes call for no water at all no oil and no bread. Gazpacho made almost entirely from tomatoes onions cucumbers and peppers is best.
I was very disappointed in this soup. There was very little tomato flavour(I followed the recipe faithfully) and I felt that the bread content overpowered the soup.This had a little resemblance to what I had in Spain this past February.
