Differences between Gazpacho and Salmorejo
Gazpacho and salmorejo are two cold tomato-based soups, ideal for spring and summer days, since they are two refreshing foods that have the particularity of hydrating, while having a high vitamin content. Likewise, gazpacho and salmorejo are two dishes originating in Andalusia (Spain) that are usually served as a first course but that differ depending on the ingredients with which they are prepared and, consequently, with the way of preparing them.
Having said that, in this article we will present the differences between these two delicious soups to give a little more detail about the traditional food of Andalusia.
Gazpacho
Briefly, gazpacho is a cold soup originating from the interior of Andalusia (Spain), which is usually served fresh in the hot summer months. The main ingredient of gazpacho is the tomato, which is where its color comes from, varying from pale orange to red depending on whether more or less ripe tomatoes are used.
In addition to tomato, gazpacho has other ingredients such as cucumber, pepper, onions and garlic, to which stale bread is also added to increase volume or thicken. Some of its current variants usually include other vegetables such as carrots and dressings such as cumin, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Salmorejo
Salmorejo is a cold soup originally from Andalusia (Spain), with a creamy and thick consistency that is usually served with bits of other foods on its surface such as ham shavings, croutons (pieces of fried bread) or with hard-boiled egg crumbs. Similarly, salmorejo is popular on hot summer days for its moisturizing and refreshing properties.
On the other hand, the main ingredient of salmorejo is tomato, which is used as an exclusive ingredient accompanied by condiments such as garlic. In its repair it takes a little olive oil, salt and a greater amount of bread as a thickener, hence its consistency is quite thick and creamy, almost to the point of purée. In addition, the creamy texture of salmorejo allows it to be used as a dipping sauce for croquettes or pastries.
To conclude, some of its variants usually contain vegetable or chicken broth to soak the bread and give the dish more flavor.
Taking into consideration what has been described above, it can be said that the main differences between gazpacho and salmorejo are:
- Gazpacho is a cold soup that includes, in addition to tomato, vegetables such as garlic, onions, cucumber and carrots, while salmorejo is a cold tomato-based soup accompanied by garlic only.
- The gazpacho has water in its preparation while the salmorejo does not have water in its preparation.
- Gazpacho uses a bit of bread to give it a bit of thickness and consistency without becoming too thick, while salmorejo uses more bread to thicken the dish, almost to the point of purée.
- Gazpacho is served in a clay pot to preserve its freshness, while salmorejo can be served in any type of dish or casserole.
- Gazpacho is only served as a cold soup, while salmorejo has a fairly creamy texture, so it can be used to dip croquettes or pastries.
- Salmorejo is one of the variants of gazpacho that evolved as a simplification of the recipe, so some ingredients of gazpacho are not used in salmorejo.
