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| Gazpacho straight from the carton. |
Store-bought gazpacho is, undoubtedly, a contradiction in terms. By my own definition gazpacho should be made with ripe, raw tomatoes at the top of the season. When I’ve got those perfect tomatoes, I make gazpacho. Nevertheless, I confess to buying gazpacho in cartons at the supermarket. Gallons of it. We swig it all day long during this heat wave. Gazpacho is sustenance and survival.
Gazpacho in cartons, pasteurized for safe keeping, is fairly natural—97,4 percent vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion and garlic), extra virgin olive oil (2.2%), wine vinegar, salt and lemon juice according to the label on one supermarket brand. It contains no bread (my homemade gazpacho always has bread) nor other thickener, so this it is fairly low in carbs, gluten-free. There are more expensive brands. But for thirst-quenching in quantity, this basic one is just fine.
Refrigerated, store-bought gazpacho keeps a couple of months. Once opened it needs to be used within five days. With an empty household I found myself with unused gazpacho and devised ways to use it up.
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| Gazpacho makes excellent salad dressing. |
The first time my in-laws came to visit us in Spain (almost sixty years ago!), my father-in-law obstinately refused to eat gazpacho, pronouncing “cold soup” an abomination. He said the only thing gazpacho was good for was salad dressing. Well, it does make good salad dressing! Pour it straight from the carton over the greens, then add some additional extra virgin olive oil.
Ready-made gazpacho makes a quickie substitute for real tomatoes in a pasta sauce or soup. Use it with water or stock as the cooking liquid for paella. And, should the weather change, heat the gazpacho to make a tasty tomato soup. (Heat it gently without boiling.) Add some cooked elbow macaroni and grated cheese to the soup for a whole new lunch experience. Or make a version of pan con tomate, bread with tomato: spoon gazpacho over slabs of toasted bread, add olive oil, and top with slices of serrano or ibérico ham.
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| Gazpacho-mayonnaise with sliced chicken. |
Here’s a lazy summertime lunch dish using store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken. The sauce made with gazpacho is an easy version of salsa rosa, pink mayonnaise. It goes very well with cold cuts, shrimp or fish, coleslaw. If making a larger quantity, mix the sauce in a blender. (Recipe below.)
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| Chicken breast cooked in gazpacho. |
Gazpacho heated is an instant sauce for cooked chicken. Or, if you’re starting with uncooked chicken pieces, sauté them in olive oil until nicely browned, add gazpacho to the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
The chicken in sauce is nice served with plain rice, but cous cous is faster—just add boiling water to the grain with salt and a little extra virgin olive oil (same volume of liquid as of cous cous), cover and set 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Sliced Chicken with Gazpacho Mayonnaise
Pechuga de Pollo con Mayonesa-Gazpacho
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| Gazpacho-mayonnaise. |
Serves 4.
3-4 cooked chicken breasts
Salad greens
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup gazpacho
1/8 teaspoon hot or sweet smoked pimentón (paprika)
Sliced olives
Cherry tomatoes, quartered
Basil sprigs
Slice the chicken breasts. Arrange salad greens on salad plates and spread the sliced chicken on top.
Beat the mayonnaise smooth. Stir in the gazpacho a little at a time. Beat in the pimentón.
Scatter olives and tomatoes over the chicken and greens. Garnish with basil. Serve the chicken accompanied by the gazpacho mayonnaise.
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