Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal (where it is known as gaspacho) and parts of Latin America.

History

Gazpacho has ancient roots. There are a number of theories of its origin, including as an Arab soup of bread, olive oil, water and garlic that arrived in Spain with the Moors, or via the Romans with the addition of vinegar. Once in Spain it became a part of Andalusian cuisine, particularly Seville, using stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar - all readily available local ingredients.

Gazpacho remained popular with farm workers as a way to cool off during the summer and to use readily available ingredients such as fresh vegetables and stale bread.

There are many modern variations of gazpacho, often in different colors and omitting the tomatoes and bread in favor of avocados, cucumbers, parsley, or watermelon. So, be creative and design your own combination of vegetables and fruit to put your own signature on your gazpacho. I love sticking close to the OG; it’s a perfect way to take advantage of the terribly short, but wonderfully delicious tomato season.

You will love this recipe. It is so easy and so refreshing. A perfect way to use up your farmer's market bounty.

Typical Spanish gazpacho includes stale bread, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt. However, a gluten free variation omitting the bread works perfectly well.