José Andrés Says This Recipe Is the One of the Reasons He Married His Wife

Like Ina Garten or a fine wine, José Andrés gets better with age. We've been fans of the chef, restaurateur and philanthropist for years, and were delighted to include him on our first-ever list of American Food Heroes back in 2017.

Since then, Andrés has been charting new territory and feeding hungry communities—often amidst disaster recovery—all over the world with his non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK). (Get this: WCK has shared more than 50 million fresh meals since it was created in 2010!)

Most recently, he's been helping feed people during the coronavirus pandemic, advocating for restaurant relief and flipping his restaurants into community kitchens to keep his staff employed and nearby populations fed. And somehow, between all of his globe-trotting and coordinating massive relief efforts, the Spanish-born celebrity chef found time to make an appearance on Michelle Obama's new Netflix kids cooking show, Waffles + Mochi.

To promote the series, demonstrate the recipe he taught Waffles and Mochi and catch up with his pals at TODAY, Andrés carved out time to make an appearance on the morning show earlier this week.

Turns out, said recipe starts with the same base as the Gazpacho he shared with EatingWell back in 2017. (BTW, reader Joyce says it's, "so easy and refreshing, especially in the summer with homegrown tomatoes. This is my go-to gazpacho recipe!")

So it's clear Andrés really adores this recipe. He reveals a heartwarming reason why in the introduction for the how-to for his Gazpacho al Estilo de Patricia (Patricia's Gazpacho) recipe on TODAY.

"My wife, Patricia, is from Andalucía, a region known for sherry and hams. But not many people know that Andalucía is the cold-soup capital of the world, thanks to gazpacho," he says. "Every summer, when you open the refrigerator in my house, you'll see a big glass pitcher right in the middle with this rich, creamy red liquid inside. My wife doesn't like to cook, but one thing she cooks like the gods is gazpacho. This is her recipe. It's also one of the reasons I married her."

Jam-packed full of vegetables and healthy fats from one of Andrés' signature ingredients—Spanish extra virgin olive oil (buy it: José Andrés Foods Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil; $34.95 for 16.9 ounces on Amazon)—this dish likely came in clutch for the chef during his recent wellness mission. (And busy days, no doubt!)

"A year and 6 months ago, I was 293 pounds," Andrés confides to the TODAY hosts during the segment. "Today, I am 220. It's not yet to be celebrating [sic]—I need to lose a little bit more—but I feel good."

"Everybody loves salad," Andrés says, so why not whip up a drinkable version? "Who doesn't like to drink something delicious? Gazpacho is a celebration."

Compared to the previous rendition of the Spanish gazpacho our editors know and love, Andrés makes the 2021 version even more of a celebration with a chic, yet simple serving idea: add the garnish first! Load up each bowl with the bonus ingredients, including croutons, sliced and chopped tomatoes, cucumber cubes and onion segments. Drizzle with EVOO, sherry vinegar, then pour the chilled blender contents on top of the condiments.

Get the recipe for this Gazpacho al Estilo de Patricia (Patricia's Gazpacho), and round out the meal with more healthy Spanish recipes.