Citrus gazpacho with green walnuts

Although we use the term gazpacho here to mean a cold soup, it probably calls to your mind the Andalusian tomato-based version. Both dishes use cucumber and garlic, but the overall effect is quite different - in a good way! Just think how limiting it would be if you restricted yourself to Nicoise and Caprese salads. How much sadder and how much more boring your life would be!

The base of this particular gazpacho is made up of spinach, cucumber, water, lemon juice, parsley, ginger, garlic and, in place of olive oil, Erbology Organic Cold Pressed Walnut Oil. There are few foods as dynamic as ginger. Moreover, the addition of this lively root distances this gazpacho from its Mediterranean roots. Apple and ginger are a natural pairing that make us think of warm autumnal puddings. We're pleased to see that this relationship is clearly more versatile than that.

How to best enjoy

The complex, unusual flavours of this gazpacho and the eye-catching colour and garnishes make it impressive enough to present to guests. For instance, you could offer it as a starter or as a light main dish in the summer. It's so easy that you could even make it as a weekday lunch to enjoy in the middle of a busy workday. Small, smart pleasures like this coalesce all of the chaotic components of contemporary lives into a composed harmony.

As with most cold dishes, you can taste-test as you go and adjust accordingly. Once you've got a composition of flavours that's pleasing to your taste buds, it's on to the garnishes. Bread is central to the original Andalusian gazpacho, where breadcrumbs are added to the soup itself. Here, we have reinterpreted this into seeded croutons added as a garnish.  We have accompanied the croutons with purple-black Kalamata olives and hemp seeds.

Certainly, these seeds are a fantastic source of plant-based protein and fibre. Further to this, they provide the ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids.(1)(2) Meanwhile, walnut oil offers more omega-3 and omega-6s. In other words, this dish is wonderfully abundant in these important nutrients. Learn more about walnut benefits

What else could I do?

Reverting back to the peasant and shepherd origins of Spanish gazpacho, we'd like to offer up some further options for your consideration.  After all, it's always good to keep the classics in firm view even as you reinvent. Don't you agree? It's also surprising to see how much has already been lost from the popular understanding of gazpacho recipe.

Traditional toppings also included chopped almonds, finely chopped mint and smashed cumin, fresh orange, and fresh chopped vegetables. Many versions of Spanish gazpacho recipe incorporate dried fruits, and these are called white gazpachos.

Likewise, fresh fruit such as strawberries and muskmelon are sometimes brought into service. In the same vein, gazpacho has always variated in thickness depending on the region. For instance, in Extramadura it can be as thick as a dip, while in Avila it typically has chunks of vegetables in a thin broth. We hope we leave you with plenty of food for thought..... and, way more appetisingly, plenty of food for the belly!