This Spanish tomato soup is a classic recipe that's ready in 15 minutes. A few common vegetables, olive oil, seasonings and a blender are all you need to make the best gazpacho! And though it's the perfect soup for hot days, I make it year-round; that's how much I love it.
Quick and refreshing
Gazpacho is a tomato soup from Andalucia and probably my favorite soup, hot or cold, in the world. It almost trumps my other go-to when it comes to chilled summer soups, the fantastic Russian Okroshka recipe, another one I make often on hot days.
When I go to Spain, I live on it, together with anything featuring romesco sauce, green olives, potato tortilla and pitchers of red sangria.
What's so great about gazpacho?
- It’s no-cook: Everything is raw, and you simply process or blend it.
- Customizable: Adjust to your palate. Use more or less of certain ingredients to make it as thin, thick or salty as you want it to be. Though it's meant to be a smooth soup mixture, you can make it chunkier.
- It doubles as an appetizer and dip. Some even say it's a drink when served in small glasses before a meal. I have a friend who gave baby bottles of drinkable gazpacho to her toddlers, but that's probably a bit much.
Hot weather days are all about grilling, salads, and no-bake desserts, and this tomato garlic soup definitely delivers! A great light summer meal.
Testing Notes
Key Takeaways:
For a flavorful and silky gazpacho, use very ripe tomatoes, a good olive oil, use a blender for best results, and chill it for a few hours before serving. Don’t skip the bread; it gives body and smoothness.
- Use ripe, soft tomatoes. They’re the base of the soup, so flavor matters. If your tomatoes aren’t great, you can boost them with a splash of tomato juice or passata.
- Blend thoroughly. I tested a high-powered classic blender, immersion blender and a food processor, and the first two options are highly recommended for a smoother texture. If using a processor, process as smoothly as you can and add the water gradually. You might still not achieve a completely smooth mixture. I wouldn't mind.
- Should you use bread for an authentic gazpacho? I tested both and like to add some, but you can omit it for a thinner, more drinkable soup. Opinions vary, but you should use it according to several Spanish friends I debated this with.
- Salt gradually. Once chilled, it might need a final pinch; always taste again before serving.
- A good extra virgin olive oil can make a difference. I tried several ones over the years, and premium ones enhance the flavors of the produce.
- Chill before serving. Letting the soup rest in the fridge helps the flavors meld and makes the soup more refreshing.
FAQ
Yes, but it will be thinner. You can adjust the amount of bread as you go, adding a small piece, blending and tasting until you find your ideal thickness.
Not really, but you can. You can strain the mixture before eating it to avoid seeds or bits that might not have dissolved. I never peel them and hardly ever strain gazpacho.
Fresh tomatoes are ALWAYS best and highly recommended, but if it’s out of season and produce is not good, use a good brand of whole canned tomatoes (like San Marzano) and add a small splash of vinegar to brighten the flavor.
Keep gazpacho in the fridge for up to 5 days, always in an airtight container, preferably glass. I use glass bottles when making it very thin and pourable.
Ingredient Notes
- Tomatoes: Use very ripe, in-season tomatoes for the best flavor. Roma, heirloom, or beefsteak varieties work well. If your tomatoes are watery, you may want to strain the soup after blending for a smoother consistency.
- Cucumber: A seedless or English cucumber is ideal for a less bitter and more tender texture. Peel if the skin is thick or waxy.
- Red Bell Pepper: You can substitute yellow or orange peppers if needed, but I recommend you avoid green peppers as they can have a slightly bitter flavor.
- Vinegar: The most traditional one is sherry vinegar but I use red wine vinegar sometimes and it's a great substitute. Avoid balsamic as it overpowers the other flavors.
Serving cold soup
It's meant to be eaten cold, so make sure you keep it in the fridge until it's time to serve it.
- Soup bowl with garnishes: Chopped fresh cucumbers and tomato pieces, bread croutons, and a drizzle of olive oil make great soup toppers, adding crunch to this unique soup. Sometimes, I serve the soup plain and pass bowls with the garnishes separately so that people can choose and adjust the soup to their liking.
- Shot glasses: Drinkable gazpacho makes a fantastic, fresh appetizer, especially for hot days.
- As a dipping sauce: Make a thick mixture and dip bread pieces into it. I like semolina bread and our crusty French bread for this.
Tips to make it
If using bread, day-old rustic white bread works best. I like a baguette or country loaf that thickens and flavors the soup, and gives it a creamy texture.
Coarsely chop
All the soup ingredients will be blended until completely smooth, so there's no need to be careful how you chop them. Smaller chunks will blend more easily.
Blend
It's as easy as blending until smooth. You can use a regular blender or a large bowl and an immersion blender.
Make sure no chunks remain for the soup itself. You can then add fresh, crisp garnishes for crunch.
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Traditional Gazpacho Recipe (Spanish cold soup)
Ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed white bread, preferably day-old, crusts removed and torn into pieces
- 3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes, such as Roma tomatoes, from about 2 pounds or 6 medium
- 1 cup chopped cucumber, about 1 small, peeled
- ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper, about 1 small
- 1 garlic clove, minced, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 to 4 tablespoons cold water, or as needed to thin
- chopped cucumber and chopped tomato with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and croutons, for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the bread. Place the torn bread in a small bowl and cover with a splash of water. Let it soften while prepping the rest of the ingredients.
- Blend everything. Add 3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes, 1 cup chopped cucumber, ¾ cup chopped red bell pepper, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste and the soaked bread (squeeze out excess water first) to a blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth.
- Add 2 to 4 tablespoons cold water a little at a time if it’s too thick. Taste and adjust. Check for seasoning. Add more salt, vinegar, or water as needed.
- Chill the soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours, or until very cold. This is an essential step unless your ingredients were very cold when you blended them, and serve the soup right away.
- Serve. Stir well and pour into bowls. Garnish with chopped cucumber and chopped tomato with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and croutons, or pass them in bowls and have each person garnish to taste.
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