Inflation has triggered the price of food. This means that, sometimes, preparing certain dishes at home can be more expensive than buying them already ready in the supermarket. Without going any further, the ingredients needed to make recipes as popular as gazpacho and salmorejo can be up to 50% more expensive than two years ago.
This is reflected in a study by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), which concludes that preparing 2.5 and 3 liters of gazpacho at home costs around 4.08 euros. Two years ago, however, the same ingredients were worth about 2.76 euros. With salmorejo we see a similar situation: it has gone from costing 2.52 euros in 2021 to 3.75 in 2023.
Packaged gazpachos and salmorejos are a practical alternative when you don't have much time to cook or go shopping. But are they cheaper? Neither. The organization points out that in some cases we can find options for two euros per liter. "Therefore, an amount similar to the one we propose in our recipes, about 2.5 liters, could cost 5 euros," they point out.
These products may also have other drawbacks. Despite the fact that in some cases their formulation may be good, some are highly processed or contain uninteresting ingredients on a nutritional level. Therefore, we must look at the label and determine which ones are of better quality.
Also, not all of these packaged soups promise the best value for money. The OCU points out that some top-brand gazpachos and salmorejos can be around 4 euros per liter. In these cases, preparing them at home would be much cheaper.
In conclusion, the price difference between a packaged gazpacho and one prepared at home is not that high. We can find a good quality industrial one for just one more euro. However, the pleasure of making the dish yourself and the difference in flavor make many decide for the homemade version. For those interested, we leave a recipe below.
