Types of gazpacho for you to enjoy a healthy diet

The gazpacho is a recipe that takes on special prominence in times of the year when high temperatures prevail, although it is advisable to have it at any time, thanks to its beneficial properties for health. A cold soup that is generally made with various ingredients such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, garlic, and other raw vegetables, in addition to olive oil and vinegar.

Surely your mouth starts watering thinking about a nice cool 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 feel like continuing to read?

The origins and history of gazpacho

We want to explain to you, first of all, that the origin of gazpacho has some 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 to then serve the result as a soup. This primitive version was much more similar to what we now know as ajoblanco.

For a long time it consisted of a rustic, rough, and simple dish, and it wasn't until the early 19th century that vegetables began to be added. Little by little, its recipe became popular and spread to other places like France. Until in the 1960s, with Spain's opening to Europe and the explosion of tourism, gazpacho became international.

The different versions of gazpacho

For all the above, many authors affirm that gazpacho originated in Andalusia. Although there are others who attribute its origin to Castilla la Mancha, specifically Cuenca, because it is most similar to the galiano that shepherds consumed there in the 12th century. Perhaps this disparity of claims is what has led to us knowing different varieties today.

Andalusian gazpacho

For many, it is the most traditional, the one that faithfully follows, so to speak, the academic standard of what a gazpacho should be. It includes ripe tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, cucumber, breadcrumbs, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic, water, and salt. However, there are divergences about what the proportions of each of the ingredients should be and whether it should be strained or not before being served.

Manchego gazpacho

The main competitor of the Andalusian, which is still called galiano in those lands of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza. However, you should not confuse them because one has nothing to do with the other. The Manchego gazpacho, in fact, is a stew that is served hot and is cooked with rabbit or chicken meat, flatbread or unleavened bread, pepper, garlic, tomato, onion, and some spices like cumin and paprika.

Other variants of gazpacho

From the two main variants we highlighted earlier, many others have emerged that differ slightly depending on the ingredients used or even the method of preparation. We are talking, for example, about the Extremaduran gazpacho, which differs from the Andalusian one in that it also includes onion.

Some have dared to add mint and basil, or prepare it with fruits like watermelon, melon, cherry, strawberry, or raspberry. Similarly, there are versions that include almond, radish, ginger, mint, or clove.

Maybe you have heard of white gazpacho, which replaces vegetables with pine nuts and almonds. Or the gazpachuelo, whose origin is a fisherman's soup that was consumed in Málaga and is nothing like the gazpacho we all know, because it includes among other things mayonnaise. Also very famous is the Cordoban salmorejo, which has small cubes of ham and hard-boiled egg added to it.

Why include it in a healthy diet?

We are going to skip over these other types we mentioned and focus on the classic gazpacho of a lifetime; the one we have called Andalusian gazpacho. And now we will answer the question we just posed, breaking down 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 like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, zinc, copper, and manganese, it is a very complete soup. To this, you should add its low calorie content. Additionally, 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.

It contributes to proper hydration, has vasodilating effects and, due to its high vegetable content, it has been shown to reduce the likelihood of certain types of cancer. What more could you ask for? As if that weren't enough, it will help you lose weight because its consumption generates a feeling of fullness.

How to prepare a good gazpacho?

We are going to close our article by explaining the most important thing: the steps you need to follow to prepare a good gazpacho. We will tell you in advance that you will need a blender like the Mixy, which you can find if you visit our Mellerware website.

Well, once you have gathered all the ingredients you need for this recipe, the first thing will be to peel and chop them so that there are no annoying lumps. You can also save part of the work by passing the final result through a strainer, although this last step has some detractors.

Once this is done, in the blender you will have to mix them with the oil, water, vinegar, and salt and blend at maximum speed for about 4 minutes, approximately. Use a ladle to ensure there are no skin or seed remains and thus achieve the perfect texture. Before having it, put it in the fridge for a couple of hours so that it is nice and cold.

As you will be able to see, with the Mixy blender from Mellerware you will get an exquisite result, finger-licking good. Especially if you use quality, fresh, and seasonal products. What are you waiting for? Have a good gazpacho to our health!