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Meat-Free Mondays

Vegetarian recipe of the week: 10-minute gazpacho soup

gazpacho main, meat-free monday recipe elena's gazpacho soup by healthista

This week Healthista video producer Will shares a traditional Spanish gazpacho recipe – his girlfriend Elena’s gazpacho soup is delicioso

In his days before becoming Healthista’s very own video producer, Will Coddington spent a year swanning about and sunning it up in the south of Spain. When he wasn’t playing rugby in the sun or BBQ-ing on the beach, Will would be spending time with his Spanish girlfriend, Elena Pomares Ruiz, who first introduced him to the classic gazpacho recipe that has now become his weekly staple soup. Will explained to me that on a hot day, the Spaniards guzzle down gazpacho like it’s water, ‘Elena would have it three or four times a week. She would have it as a drink for breakfast, lunch and dinner. During the day with her meals as well – it’s just what Spanish people do, they always have it.’

After realising how delicious a fresh gazpacho soup can taste, Will quickly took it upon himself to learn the recipe that had been passed down ihis girlfriend’s family for generations. ‘Every family’s gazpacho recipe is different. They always put a different twist on it, some people might use more cucumber, some people might put more cider vinegar, some people might put more salt or less water or even add other ingredients like fruit but the Pomares Ruiz recipe is more of a classic take on the dish.’

Make like the Spanish and get creative…open up a tin of tuna and chuck that in

While the family were kind enough to share the exact recipe, Will also revealed that in Spain, creating this dish is more of a taste test where exact measurements are non-existent. For this reason, measurements recommended in this recipe should be used as a rough guideline and should be altered according to individual taste.

And if you’re feeling adventurous? Make like the Spanish and get creative with this dish. ‘Something Elena and I do sometimes is to make the bowl of gazpacho and then open up a tin of tuna and chuck that in. You also can hard boil an egg and peel it and break it up and then just put that in or you can also put Spanish ham in there.’

Ingredients 

nine tomatoes

one large clove garlic (or two small)

5cm cucumber

1/4 green pepper

40ml extra virgin olive oil

30ml apple cider vinegar

salt

100ml water

To make

Peel tomatoes and then put all ingredients into a blender. Blend together and then refrigerate for two hours. Season to taste and serve.

 

Read more

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Meat-free Monday recipe: Chilli and mango superbowl

Meat-free Monday recipe: raw pea and courgette soup

 

 

 

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