Cooking in

Pemberton · the Sea to Sky

Nearest city · Vancouver Change

Spanish

Gazpacho Andaluz — The Liquid Bread of Summer

Before the tomato's arrival from the New World, Andalusian gazpacho was ajo blanco — a white soup of bread, almonds, and garlic that sustained field workers through scorching summers. The marriage of indigenous technique with American tomatoes created gazpacho as we know it, a living testament to Spain's role as the gateway between worlds. This is not mere cold soup, but liquid sustenance — the essence of Andalusian summer captured in a bowl.

Serves4

Within reach0of 4 in Pemberton

Four not yet within reach.

How the 4 are reached

Not yet within reach: 4 · ripe pear tomatoes, marcona almonds, jerez vinegar, flor de sal

Cook

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

1.2 kg

ripe pear tomatoes

peak summer ripeness, room temperature

Origin · ItalyNot yet within reach of Pemberton · each reach is counted

80 g

day-old country bread

crusts removed, torn into pieces

Your own market

1 large

cucumber

peeled and seeded

Your own market

1 medium

red bell pepper

roasted, peeled, and seeded

Your own market

40 g

white onion

finely chopped

Your own market

2 medium

garlic cloves

germ removed

Your own market

20 g

Marcona almonds

blanched, connecting to ajo blanco ancestry

Not yet within reach of Pemberton · each reach is counted

80 ml

Spanish extra virgin olive oil

Picual or Hojiblanca variety

Your own market

20 ml

Jerez vinegar

aged, from Andalusia

Not yet within reach of Pemberton · each reach is counted

1 tsp

flor de sal

to taste

Not yet within reach of Pemberton · each reach is counted

Within reach counts in town, delivered, shipped and the nearest city. A staple counts once it has a local seller. Charted from each shop's own pages; not yet vouched by a cook who shops here.

The larder of Pemberton →

The Method

Char the red pepper directly over flame or under broiler at 240°C until skin blackens completely, about 8-10 minutes. Steam in covered bowl for 15 minutes, then peel, seed, and roughly chop.

Score an X on tomato bottoms and blanch in boiling water for 45 seconds until skins loosen. Plunge into ice water, peel, halve, and remove seeds, reserving juices. Roughly chop flesh.

Soak torn bread in cold water for 10 minutes until completely softened. Squeeze gently to remove excess water while keeping bread integrity.

In large mortar or food processor, pound garlic, almonds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into smooth paste. Add soaked bread and work until completely smooth, about 3 minutes by hand, 1 minute in processor.

Add tomatoes with their juices, roasted pepper, cucumber, and onion. Work mixture until smooth, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while processing to create stable emulsion. Stream in vinegar and adjust seasoning.

Pass through fine-mesh sieve, pressing solids firmly. Chill minimum 2 hours. Serve in chilled bowls, adjusting consistency with ice water if needed, finishing with thread of best olive oil.

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