Gazpacho Soup

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Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato soup blended with cucumber, mild green pepper, olive oil, vinegar and a little bread. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, then needs at least 2 hours in the fridge to chill.

If you end up with a lot of ripe tomatoes that need using up, give this soup a go! The only heat involved is a quick blanch if you want to peel the tomatoes.

Did you know?

Gazpacho Andaluz is a cold Spanish soup made mostly from raw, blended vegetables. It comes from Andalusia, one of the most beautiful parts of Spain, and is especially popular during the hot summer months.

I first shared this recipe back in 2015. Bread is a traditional gazpacho ingredient, and a little of it gives the soup more body. In summer, you will even see cartons of gazpacho in the supermarket fridge aisle here, and some bars serve it in a glass.

Speaking of Spanish food, have you ever tried ajoblanco, another traditional cold soup, or calimocho, a refreshing summer drink made with cola and red wine?

Ingredients and substitutions

Ripe tomatoes are the base, along with cucumber, onion, garlic and mild green pepper. Bread, olive oil and vinegar are blended in with them.

I use pimiento verde italiano, a long, mild green pepper. In the US, a Cubanelle or another mild green frying pepper is a good substitute.

I use apple cider vinegar in this recipe, but sherry vinegar, or Vinagre de Jerez, can be used instead.

Is gazpacho soup served hot or cold?

Definitely cold! I chill the gazpacho for at least 2 hours before serving.

You can also make it the day before. It thickens quite a bit overnight, so add another ¼ to ½ cup of cold water if needed and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

How do you serve gazpacho?

Serve it in a bowl like you would any other soup, or pour it into a tall glass. You will find it served both ways in Spain.

For a simple topping, finely chop a little cucumber or green pepper and add a drizzle of olive oil. And if you are serving it at a summer party, why not use shot glasses?

For a Spanish meal, serve the gazpacho before paella Valenciana and finish with homemade churros.

How to make gazpacho

Blanch and peel the tomatoes if you want to remove the skins, then roughly chop the cucumber, onion and pepper. Blend everything with the bread, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and water until smooth, then chill before serving.

The exact amounts and full instructions are in the recipe card below.

Do you peel the tomatoes for gazpacho?

I like to peel the tomatoes when I make gazpacho, but you don’t have to.

I personally use the blanching method. Cut a small X into the bottom of each tomato, place them in boiling water for about 60 seconds, then transfer them to ice water. Once cool, the skins should peel off easily.

This gazpacho is quite thick, which is how I like it. For an extra-smooth consistency, you can run it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove pieces of skin and seeds. I never bother with this though.

If you plan to strain the gazpacho, you can skip blanching and peeling the tomatoes.

Tips for making gazpacho

The flavor will vary depending on how ripe the tomatoes are and how strong the onion and garlic are. Taste the gazpacho after blending and again after chilling.

Use the amounts in the recipe as a starting point, then season to taste. I used ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.

If you don’t have time to chill it fully, serve it over ice and pour the soup in right before serving. Use large ice cubes. Small ones melt quickly and water it down.

Print Pin Rate

5 from 8 votes

Tomato Gazpacho Soup

A cold Spanish tomato soup blended with cucumber, mild green pepper, bread, olive oil and vinegar. Chill well before serving in bowls or glasses.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Julia

Ingredients

1x2x3x

USMetric

• ▢ 2¼ pounds ripe large tomatoes see note 1
• ▢ 1 medium cucumber peeled, see note 2
• ▢ 1 small onion peeled
• ▢ 1 small mild green frying pepper stemmed and seeded, see note 3
• ▢ ½ cup crusty white bread diced, see note 4
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar see note 5
• ▢ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil see note 6
• ▢ 1 medium garlic clove peeled
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• ▢ ½ cup water

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Bring a medium or large pot of water to a boil. Using a knife, cut a small X into the bottom of each tomato. Carefully lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and cook until the skins begin to loosen, about 60 seconds.
• Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water and let them cool. Peel off the skins, cut the tomatoes in half and remove the cores.
• Roughly chop the cucumber, onion and green pepper. Add them to a blender with the tomatoes, bread, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper and water.
• Blend until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt or vinegar if needed.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until well chilled.
• Serve cold in bowls or tall glasses. Add a drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped cucumber or green pepper, if desired. You can also serve it over large ice cubes.

Video

Notes

1. Tomatoes: Use any variety of large, ripe tomatoes. Avoid small varieties such as cherry or grape tomatoes. They are difficult to peel and can result in more waste.
2. Cucumber: I used one medium garden cucumber, which weighed about 7 ounces (200 grams). Half of a large English cucumber will also work.
3. Pepper: I used one pimiento verde italiano, which weighed about 2½ ounces (70 grams). In the US, look for a Cubanelle or another mild green frying pepper.
4. Bread: I use Spanish-style bread, but a plain baguette or another crusty white bread works well. Avoid strongly flavored or seeded bread.
5. Vinegar: I use apple cider vinegar in this recipe. Sherry vinegar, or Vinagre de Jerez, can be used instead.
6. Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil gives the best flavor, but regular olive oil also works. Do not replace it with sunflower, vegetable or another neutral cooking oil.
7. Making ahead and storage: For the best flavor, chill the gazpacho for at least 2 hours before serving. You can also make it the day before. It will thicken quite a bit overnight, so add another ¼ to ½ cup cold water if needed and adjust the seasoning to taste. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.
8. Straining: This gazpacho is quite thick, which is how I like it. For an extra-smooth consistency, you can strain it through a fine-mesh strainer to remove pieces of skin and seeds. I never bother with this though. If you plan to strain it, you can skip blanching and peeling the tomatoes. Core and roughly chop them, then continue with step 3. Keep in mind that straining will reduce the final yield.
9. Yield: This recipe makes about 1 quart (1 liter) of gazpacho.

Nutrition

Calories: 236 kcal (12%), Carbohydrates: 28 g (9%), Protein: 6 g (12%), Fat: 12 g (18%), Saturated Fat: 2 g (13%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8 g, Sodium: 636 mg (28%), Potassium: 782 mg (22%), Fiber: 5 g (21%), Sugar: 10 g (11%), Vitamin A: 2710 IU (54%), Vitamin C: 60 mg (73%), Calcium: 73 mg (7%), Iron: 2 mg (11%)

Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Spanish

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