Gazpacho
This easy gazpacho is one of my favorite ways to use in-season tomatoes. It’s creamy, refreshing, and perfect for hot summer days.
After spending the early part of the summer in Spain, I’ve been eager to come back and share some of my favorite meals with you. First, my vegan paella and Spanish romesco sauce, and now, this creamy gazpacho.
This is one of my favorite things to serve when it’s too hot to eat, and the garden is overflowing with fresh produce.
Why I love this recipe
My family made gazpacho often growing up, but I never liked it. My grandmother’s version was finely chopped fresh vegetables that reminded me more of salsa than soup.
This version is similar to the one I fell in love with over the years when traveling in Spain. Creamy, with lots of body and plenty of olive oil. That’s the key! Fresh tomato and good, high-quality olive oil.
I made this gazpacho recently for a dinner party (along with my paella, romesco sauce, and macerated berries) and it was a hit! Served in drinking glasses with a dollop of the cucumber-pepper relish for easy sipping as soon as my guests arrived.
It was a hit, and the perfect make-ahead appetizer for any summer get-together.
Ingredient Notes
- Olive Oil: The quality of the olive oil really does make a difference in this recipe, so I recommend tasting your olive oil to make sure you like it. This recipe was tested with the following brands; Kosterina, Zoe, California Olive Ranch Miller’s Blend, and Laconiko (personal favorite).
- Tomatoes: Gazpacho is a peak-summer recipe, so good, ripe tomatoes are also a must. I core the tomatoes, but leave the seeds in.
- Cucumber: English, Persian or garden cucumbers will all work in this gazpacho recipe, though they need to be peeled and seeded.
- Bread: I know this is a controversial ingredient, but the bread in this gazpacho makes for a better-bodied soup and helps to emulsify the vegetables and olive oil together.
- Vinegar: Good gazpacho needs a little bite, and that’s where the vinegar comes in. I use 3 tablespoons, but you can adjust based on taste preference.
How to Make
Step 1: Soak the Bread
Tear the crusty bread, place it in a small bowl, and cover with cold water. Let soak for 15 minutes until very soft, then drain and squeeze the bread to remove excess water.
Step 2: Blend the vegetables
Place the tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, garlic in a blender, and soaked bread and puree until creamy. Depending on how large your blender is, you may need to do this in batches. The vegetables will break down and reduce once they are blended.
Step 3: Add the Olive Oil
With the motor running, add the salt and vinegar and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The gazpacho should turn from brighter red to pink as the olive oil emulsifies with the vegetables and bread.
Taste, adjusting seasoning as desired, adding more salt, vinegar or olive oil depending on preference. Chill the gazpacho by placing it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until very cold.
Chef Tips for Success
- Gazpacho is best when it’s served very cold. I prefer to make this at least 2 hours ahead of time and then pop in the fridge to pull out right before serving. It shouldn’t separate after blending with the bread and olive oil, but if it does, quickly blend for 5-10 seconds before serving. I usually store the gazpacho right in the blender in the fridge just in case I have to do this.
- Season with salt. The 1 1/4 teaspoons should be perfect, but if your tomatoes are underripe, you may need to add more salt. Gazpacho should be bright in flavor, and adding enough salt helps bring out the flavor of the tomatoes and cucumbers.
- Soak the Bread. I tested this gazpacho with and without the bread, and the addition of the bread makes for a better-bodied soup and helps emulsify the vegetables and olive oil together. Leftover sourdough or French bread is best, but any bread will work.
- Garnish. To balance the creamy texture of the gazpacho, I like to top it with finely chopped cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and yes, a good drizzle of quality olive oil.
Equipment Notes
You’ll need a blender for best results. My nutribullet is large enough to blend all of this together at once, but depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do it in batches.
I also highly recommend a scale (useful for so many recipes, especially when baking or with sourdough!) to make sure you have the right amount of tomatoes and bread.
More Tomato Recipes
- Confited Tomatoes
- Homemade Salsa for Canning
- Cherry Tomato Pasta
- Simple Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Heirloom Tomato Salad
- Bean, Basil and Tomato Pasta Salad
If you try this gazpacho recipe, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Easy Gazpacho
Equipment
Ingredients
- 50 g crusty bread
- 2 1/4 pounds tomatoes, quartered , plus more for garnish1
- 1/4 small red onion , plus more for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber , plus more for garnish
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil2, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Tear the bread and soak in cold water for about 15 minutes, until softened. Drain, squeezing gently to remove excess water and place in a blender.
- Add the quartered tomatoes, onion, garlic, bell pepper and cucumber. You may need to work in batches, blenidng until creamy.
- With the motor running, add the vinegar and salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the gazpacho is creamy and smooth. Taste, adjusting seasoning– adding more salt, vinegar, olive oil, depending on preference.
- Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until very cold. When ready to serve, divide into bowls or glasses.
- Garnish with chopped onion, tomato, cucumber and green pepper along with a generous drizzle of more good olive oil.
Notes
- I like to make a chopped relish to serve on top with finely chopped red onion, tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper.
- The taste of your olive oil matters! This gazpacho has been tested with the following brands, which I recommend: Kosterina, Zoe, California Olive Ranch Miller’s Blend, and Laconiko (personal favorite). Gazpacho is kinda like pesto in my opinion, the right olive oil can make or break it, so make sure you try your olive oil first to like the taste.