He Gazpacho It is a recipe that takes on special prominence at times of the year when high temperatures predominate, although it is advisable to take it at any time, thanks to its beneficial properties for health . A cold soup that is usually made up of various ingredients such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, garlic and other raw vegetables, as well as olive oil and vinegar.
Surely your mouth will start to water thinking about a good cold glass. If you are a person who strives to maintain a healthy diet , you will be very interested in what we have to tell you in this post. Do you dare to continue reading?
The origins and history of gazpacho
We want to explain to you, first of all, that the origin of the Gazpacho It has several centuries of history. It was already made in Al-Andalus, before the 8th century, with vinegar, salt, water, olive oil, garlic and breadcrumbs, which were mashed and then served as a soup. This primitive version was much more like what we know today as ajoblanco.
For a long time it consisted of a rustic, rough and simple dish , and it was not until the beginning of the 19th century when vegetables began to be added. Little by little, his recipe became popular and moved to other places like France. Until in the 1960s, with the opening of Spain to Europe and the explosion of tourism, gazpacho became international.
The different versions of gazpacho
For all the above, many authors affirm that the Gazpacho He is originally from Andalusia. Although there are others who attribute its origin to Castilla la Mancha, specifically Cuenca, because it is the closest thing to galian that the shepherds took back in the 12th century. Perhaps this disparity of affirmations is what has caused that, at present, we know of different varieties.
Andalusian gazpacho
For many it is the most traditional, the one that faithfully follows, so to speak, the academic norm of what a gazpacho . It has ripe tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, cucumber, bread crumbs, extra olive oil, vinegar, garlic, water, and salt. However, there are divergences about what the proportions of each of the ingredients should be and whether or not it should be strained before being served.
Manchegan gazpacho
The Andalusian's main competitor, who is still called Galiano in those lands of Don Quijtote and Sancho Panza. However, you should not confuse them because they have nothing to do with each other. He Manchego gazpacho , in fact, is a stew that is served hot and is cooked with rabbit or chicken meat, bread or cenceña cake, pepper, garlic, tomato, onion and some spices such as cumin and paprika.
Other variants of gazpacho
From the two main variants that we have highlighted above, many others have been born that differ slightly depending on the ingredients used or even the way of preparation. We talk to you, for example, about gazpacho from Extremadura , whose difference with the Andalusian is that it also has onion.
There are those who have dared to put mint and basil in it, or those who prepare it with fruits such as watermelon, melon, cherry, strawberry or raspberry. Likewise, there are versions that contain almonds, radishes, ginger, mint or cloves.
Perhaps you have ever heard of white gazpacho , which replaces the vegetables with pine nuts and almonds. Or of gazpachuelo , whose origin is a fisherman's soup that was eaten in Malaga and which is nothing like the gazpacho we all know, because it contains mayonnaise, among other things. It is also very famous Cordovan salmorejo , to which a little cubed ham and hard-boiled egg are added.
Why include it in a healthy diet?
We are going to go over these other types that we have mentioned and we are going to focus on the classic Gazpacho lifelong; the one we have named Andalusian gazpacho . And now we will answer the question that we have just launched, explaining the nutritional properties that make it a highly recommended dish to include in a healthy diet .
Being a natural source of vitamins A, C and E , as well as carbohydrates and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, zinc, copper and manganese, it is a very complete soup . To this you must add its low calorie content. In addition, it provides you with vegetable fiber and antioxidants such as carotenoids or lycopene. And due to its salt content, it is considered an isotonic drink.
contribute to a correct hydration, has vasodilating effects and, due to its high vegetable content, it has been shown to reduce the chances of certain types of cancer appearing. What more can you ask for? As if that were not enough, it will help you lose weight because its intake generates a feeling of satiety.
How to prepare a good gazpacho?
We are going to close our article explaining the most important thing: the steps you have to follow to prepare a good gazpacho . We anticipate that you will need one glass blender like the Mixy , which you can find if you visit our Mellerware website.
Well, once all the ingredients you need for this recipe have been gathered, the first thing to do is peel and chop them so that there are no annoying lumps. You can also save yourself part of the work by passing the final result through a strainer, although the latter has some detractors.
Once this is done, in the glass blender you will have to mix them with the oil, water, vinegar and salt and blend at maximum speed for approximately 4 minutes. Pass a ladle to make sure there are no remains of skins or seeds and thus you will achieve the perfect texture. Before taking it, put it in the fridge for a couple of hours so that it is very cool.
As you will be able to verify, with the Mellerware Mixy blender You will have an exquisite result, to lick your fingers. Above all, if you use quality, fresh and seasonal products. What are you waiting for? Take a good one Gazpacho to our health!