Traditional Gazpacho Recipe (Spanish cold soup)

Metal tray with gray bowl of gazpacho and bread slices.

Traditional Gazpacho Recipe (Spanish cold soup)

Classic gazpacho is a cold tomato cucumber soup that’s easy, refreshing, and perfect for summer. No cooking needed; simply blend, chill, and serve.

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword Andalucian gazpacho, authentic gazpacho, cold Spanish soup, vintage soup

Prep Time 20

Chilling time 2

Total Time 2 20

Servings servings

Calories 210kcal

Author Paula Montenegro

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Notes

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.

There's no need to peel the tomatoes, but you can if you want to. You can also 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.

Nutrition