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Thursday 5 July 2018

Gazpacho Soup - A wonderful taste of Andalucia - Perfect for Summer


Gazpacho is a soup made of raw vegetables and served cold, usually with a tomato base, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia, which some spell with a c, while others use an s !

This soup can be "great for a hot day when making a lunch that takes just a few minutes is exactly what you want. In our version of this Andalusian peasant dish we leave out the soaked bread and instead use a creamy avocado to give it substance. Eating some of your food raw every day is important as the vitamins are retained as well as the all-important enzymes.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
8 large, ripe tomatoes
½ medium red, orange or yellow pepper (green peppers are unripe)
½ large cucumber, peeled
1 medium avocado (or a handful of soaked nuts such as almonds, cashews, or brazil nuts)
1 small red or white onion or a bunch of spring onions
3 large cloves of garlic
1 handful of fresh herbs (we like parsley or a mix of parsley and basil / coriander)
1 tsp of good quality balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar*
The juice of ½ a lemon or lime
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Optional toppings:
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Diced olives
Diced cucumber/red pepper/tomatoes
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Parmesan crisps - how to make these see here

 Tips:
 For GAPS (Gut And Psychology Syndrome) use apple cider vinegar instead of balsamic or sherry
 For Paleo, add an extra ½ lemon or lime instead of vinegar
 If you would prefer, you can substitute the avocado for a handful of soaked almonds, cashews or brazil nuts"

This recipe suggestion, and words above, are from Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley. They are home cooks and food lovers with a passion for wellness and delicious, nutrient-dense food. Their cooking is all about creating natural, satisfying and easy to digest meals that make you feel vibrant, strong and healthy; recipes that are full of flavour and goodness and free from gluten, grains and refined sugar. They believe in the nourishing power of real food and that eating well can be easy, affordable and enjoyable for everyone.
Original recipe here
More about the Hemsley's here

Facts about Andalusia ... a rocky, sun-baked region on Spain’s southern coast, embodies much of what the world thinks of as Spanish: flamenco, tapas, matadors and bullfights. Yet it was under Moorish rule from the 8th-15th centuries, a legacy that shows in its architecture, including such landmarks as the Alcázar castle in Seville, the capital city, as well as Córdoba’s Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral and Granada’s Alhambra palace.

Seville - Place d'Espagne - image from here

Well, you may not be able to visit Andalucía, but I hope you may get to taste this Gazpacho soon. Happy Eating - which if my Spanish is correct, translates to

Comiendo feliz!

You will find a variety of recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. 

All the best Jan

29 comments:

ANNA said...

Muchas gracias es un placer que pases por mi blog y dejes tu huella en ell.
A todos nos gusta que nos comentes bien o mal mas que nada para mejorar si el comentario es negativo
Besos

Tom said...

...something new to try!

eileeninmd said...

Hello, The soup looks delicious. I wish I could visit Seville Andalusia, it looks beautiful.
Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!

Catarina said...

A different version of the gazpacho we are used to but equally delicious. :)

Iris Flavia said...

My Mum had a friend from Barcelona and don´t you pronounce that wrong, LOL!
I never had heard of soaked nuts before, just thought they´re healthy the way they are!

Rose said...

Gazpacho is something I have never tried. Do you simply mix all the ingredients? I'll have to keep this recipe in mind when my tomatoes finally ripen. Hope your summer is going well, Jan!

Carla from The River said...

I have most of the ingredients out in my garden. :-)

carol l mckenna said...

Always a wonderful soup for the summer ~

Happy Day to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

NCmountainwoman said...

We are waiting a few weeks for the wonderful summer tomatoes to be ready. Then we will definitely enjoy gazpacho as well as other great tomato dishes.

Lowcarb team member said...

Rose said:
"Gazpacho is something I have never tried. Do you simply mix all the ingredients? I'll have to keep this recipe in mind when my tomatoes finally ripen. Hope your summer is going well, Jan!"

Hello Rose … yes the ingredients are all mixed together in a blender until smooth, obviously taste for seasoning to your requirements …
Full instructions can be seen here
www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/gazpacho/

It really is a great summer soup.

Summer is going well for me thank you, we are having very warm, sunny weather here in the UK at the moment.

Take care, and many thanks for your comment, thoughts and question - it's always so nice to receive your comments.

(and all others that do take time to comment)

All the best Jan

Snowbird said...

This looks delicious, I've never come across this before. I must give it a whirl.xxx

Mylittlepieceofengland said...

Never tried it, time to experiment perhaps, it does look tasty xx

Martha said...

Nice and refreshing. Exactly what we need during this heart wave!

Out on the prairie said...

I always order this when on the menu, but yours sounds the best.

Anonymous said...

this sounds amazing, very new to me!!!

Christine said...

Looks delicious!

Mary Kirkland said...

That sounds really good and it's something I've never tried.

Anonymous said...

Delicious and perfect for summer. Thank you.

Tina

William Kendall said...

Quite a meal!

Elephant's Child said...

Yum. And it is open to adaptation too.

Teresa said...

Hay variedad de gazpachos por aquí España, el de Extremadura ( que es de donde soy yo ) es distinto al andaluz, pero los dos son muy buenos. Besitos.

Merlesworld said...

Nice for summer.
I like grape seed oil.
Merle..........

Debbie said...

this would be wonderful during this heat wave, it sounds delicious!!

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I often make Gazpacho Soup in the summer. I use whatever veggies I have on hand, but have never tried it with avocados. Wonderful addition.

I was especially pleased to learn a bit more about Spain. This view from Seville is beautiful. Thanks for this research, Jan.

DeniseinVA said...

I have family coming next weekend, this will make a great meal. Thanks Jan :)

Lee said...

I love soup. And I make it often...freeze some for future ingestion and devour the rest! :)

Magic Love Crow said...

So good! Thank you Jan!

Lisa said...

Somehow cold soup just doesn't appeal, though I'm sure it must be delicious packed with so much flavour and goodness.
Lisa x

Bob Bushell said...

Beautiful soup.