One of the things we've most enjoyed from our travels to Spain is learning how to create some of our favorite Spanish dishes, and preparing them back home. Tom is really good at two of our favorites: paella and tortilla española, the famous Spanish potato omelet.
For a broader overview of where to go, what to eat, and how to plan your route through Spain, start with our Spain travel guide.
But our real favorite is the gazpacho that I make in the summer from the abundant produce we can find right here at Minnesota farmers' markets (and, sometimes Whole Foods.) In August, when Minnesota tomatoes are at their peak, I make a batch almost every week.
We're huge fans of gazpacho, and that's not limited to just the tomato-based variety. Spanish chefs have long ago branched out to other bases, such as asparagus-based gazpacho that we tasted in Cáceres, and even tart cherries-based version that we loved in Mérida.
Over the years since we tasted our first genuine gazpacho in Sevilla, served in glasses on a very hot Sevilla afternoon, I've been perfecting my own recipe. And here it is. Give it a try, and let us know what you think in the comments.
Kris’s Gazpacho Recipe
INGREDIENTS
6-7 tomatoes
1 large or 2 medium cucumbers
1 green pepper
½ yellow or Vidalia onion (Vidalia is sweeter)
1 clove garlic
3 tsp salt
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
6 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika (preferably 1 tsp regular paprika and 1 tsp smoked paprika; Spanish is best)
1 pinch of hot paprika
1 pinch cumin
Ground pepper to taste
METHOD
Cut tomatoes into eighths.
Peel and seed cucumbers and chop into 1 1/2 – 2-inch chunks.
Seed green pepper and cut into eighths.
Chop onion into quarters.
Divide garlic into equal parts for blender batches.
Blend half of the vegetables at a time with a half portion of the salt and vinegar.
To each batch in the blender, add half the olive oil slowly and blend until smooth.
Combine the blended batches in a large bowl and whisk in the spices. Add water to thin, if desired.
Refrigerate. Serve very cold.
Serve in small glasses as an appetizer or serve in bowls as a meal course. You can dress it up by offering toppings for the soup: croutons, finely chopped cucumbers, red peppers, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, etc.
Total preparation time: 30-45 minutes; allow a few hours to chill in the refrigerator.
Some credit should go to Spanish Sabores and the Vegetarian Epicure cookbook. I’ve borrowed a bit of inspiration from both.
If you happen to be in Spain, particularly Madrid, we can't guarantee you'll find gazpacho (especially in winter.) But, if you're looking for a great introduction to Spanish foods, particularly Madrid markets and tapas, check our friends at Walk and Eat Spain. If you mention you heard of them from Travel Past 50 and use the TravelPast50 code at checkout, they'll give you 10 percent off their tours. We've joined them twice and had a blast, always discovering new (to us) finds. Well worth it. Save room.
