Gazpacho — the cold soup of Andalusia — is made from raw tomato, cucumber, red pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and stale bread blended smooth. The stale bread is not optional — it provides both body and the slightly starchy texture that distinguishes gazpacho from a vegetable smoothie. The bread's gluten-free starch disperses through the soup and creates the characteristic slight thickness of a correctly made gazpacho.
- **Tomato ripeness:** The tomatoes must be at peak ripeness — flavourless tomatoes produce flavourless gazpacho regardless of any other addition. The tomato is 80% of the flavour. - **Stale bread:** 1–2 thick slices, crusts removed, soaked in water for 5 minutes before blending. [VERIFY] Koehler's bread specification. - **Garlic:** One small clove, used raw — any more produces an aggressive raw garlic note that dominates the tomato. - **The olive oil emulsification:** Added last, in a thin stream while blending — creates a smooth emulsion with the tomato and bread. The oil's fat carries the aromatic compounds from the other vegetables. - **Vinegar:** Sherry vinegar (Jerez) specifically — its oxidative, slightly nutty character is more complex than white wine vinegar. - **Chilling:** At least 2 hours — the cold temperature transforms the flavours and develops the characteristic refreshing quality.
Spain: The Cookbook