Gazpacho is a refreshing, simple, and delicious chilled soup. This super easy no cook soup is made by blending the summer's freshest veggies including perfectly ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, with a little olive oil and a few seasonings. It takes just 10 minutes to prep before chilling. There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day!
Authentic gazpacho soup is a traditional dish from Southern Spain made with heaps of fresh summer produce, bread, olive oil, vinegar, and some simple seasonings. Since it contains mostly tomatoes, you'll certainly notice the fresh tomato flavor, but the cooling cucumber and savory onion and garlic add layers of flavor that refresh all the way down. It's a celebration of summer's abundance, and this easy gazpacho recipe is a mainstay on our menu all summer long!
Why You'll Love This Gazpacho
- Great for entertaining. Homemade tomato gazpacho couldn't be easier to make, yet it looks and tastes five-star. Make it with the finest quality ingredients you can afford, blend it together the day before, then serve in shot glasses or small cups with a drizzle of olive oil and a few garnishes. You won't even break a sweat (or have to turn on the oven)!
- So quick to prepare. If you have a blender, fresh summer produce, and a handful of pantry staples, you can make gazpacho in just a few minutes. Plus since it's a no cook soup, clean-up is minimal. Just place the blender in the dishwasher and you're done! Perfect for those too-hot-to-cook nights when you just want to veg out. Just blend, chill, then serve!
- Gluten-free and vegan. Traditional gazpacho is almost always vegan, which is amazing for vegetarians and vegans or anyone looking to add more veggies to their summer meals. This version ditches the bread to make it suitable for a wider audience, so it's gluten-free, too. Don't worry; it still has tons of fresh flavor, but it's a little thinner and smoother than the traditional gazpacho recipe.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Gazpacho, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- fresh veggies - quality matters here, especially for the tomatoes. Choose really good tomatoes, like the freshest, ripest heirloom tomatoes at the market. Grab an English cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and garlic, too.
- extra-virgin olive oil - for the soup and for serving.
- sherry vinegar - real Spanish sherry vinegar from Jerez is a delicacy and can be hard to find. For a budget choice, choose red wine vinegar instead.
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- cherry tomatoes - for garnish
- fresh basil - chopped or sliced to sprinkle on top.
- croutons - these are optional for garnish. I prefer to make my own, but you can also use freshly made croutons from a store instead.
You will also need a high speed blender or food processor, a glass container or a large bowl for chilling, and serving dishes.
How to Make the Best Gazpacho
- Blend. In a blender, add tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Chill. Transfer the mixture into a glass container and close the lid. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so all the flavors infuse together.
- Serve. Divide into bowls and garnish with cherry tomatoes, basil, and croutons, if desired. Add a drizzle of olive oil and serve cold.
Recipe Variations
- Add bread. Many Spanish gazpacho recipes call for leftover slices of white bread, which give the soup a bit of texture and extra flavor. We typically make it without, but it's delicious that way, too!
- Add fruits. Watermelon gazpacho is a traditional summer option and pairs perfectly with the other fresh ingredients in this recipe. Add a little fresh mint for a cooling note.
- Give it some spice. Gazpacho usually isn't super spicy, but it can be! Add a jalapeno or serrano pepper to the gazpacho or ½ - 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Just remember that you can't take it out, so start with less, taste, and add more if needed. The heat will build as it chills, too!
How to Serve
This Gazpacho is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite sides including:
- Spanish Tortilla (Tortilla de Patatas)
- Patatas Bravas
- Garlic Breadsticks
- Simple Italian Salad
- Yeast Rolls
For more recipes, see our 25 Side Dishes for Soup.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use the best quality ingredients. This isn't a time to use pale, lackluster grocery store tomatoes. Grab the plumpest, freshest tomatoes from your garden or the farmer's market, and use fresh herbs, not dry ones. It will make a tremendous difference!
- Don't forget to chill out. Gazpacho needs to chill for at least a couple of hours for the best texture and flavor. Budget for 2-4 hours or make it the day before and serve the next day.
- Make your own croutons. When you have simple recipes like this, it's all about layering flavor. Homemade croutons will taste so much better than the prebagged croutons from the store and couldn't be easier. I usually use my No Knead bread, cut it into cubes, then toss the cubes with olive oil and a little sea salt. Bake at 350 F for 5-7 minutes or until toasted golden brown on all sides. Easy and delicious!
- Thin as needed. If you find your homemade gazpacho is a little thick, don't water it down. Instead, use storebought tomato juice to thin as needed.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Gazpacho is intended to be eaten cold and should be stored in the fridge. To keep it fresh, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Freeze
For longer storage, freeze the chilled gazpacho in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months. Let it gradually thaw in the fridge overnight before serving like normal. If it separates, blend or shake thoroughly before serving.
FAQ
Gazpacho is a traditional Spanish soup made by blending raw vegetables, primarily fresh tomatoes with chopped cucumber, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, with crusty bread and a little olive oil and vinegar. There are also variations that use watermelon, strawberries, and other summer fruits. Unlike most soup recipes, classic gazpacho is served chilled from the fridge. It has similar flavors to your favorite tomato salsa, but in soup form! There are countless different recipes out there, each reflecting different cultural traditions and seasonal variations. Since it only requires a few minutes of actual prep time, it's a fantastic way to use up extra produce, and there's no better way to cool down during the hot summer months!
Yes, this homemade gazpacho soup can certainly be frozen for later! Normally, we do not recommend freezing recipes with fresh ingredients as the cell walls will burst and break apart after thawing. However, that works in our favor here. Just make sure the soup is completely chilled first, then store it in a freezer-safe container for no more than 6 months. Be careful to thaw it slowly in the fridge (ideally overnight), and blend or shake it really well to incorporate any liquid that may separate out.
Yes, most of the time. Even the most authentic gazpacho recipe generally only contains fresh vegetables, bread, olive oil, vinegar, and seasonings, and these are usually vegetarian or even vegan. It's a fantastic plant-based summer meal. Since there are so many different versions out there, always ask the chef to make sure there isn't Worcestershire sauce or any other meaty flavor-boosters.
More Tomato Soup Recipes
- 60 Best Soup Recipes
- Tomato Basil Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
- Creamy Tomato Potato Soup
- Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
- Alphabet Soup
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Recipe
Gazpacho
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Gazpacho is a refreshing, simple, and delicious chilled soup. This super easy no cook soup is made by blending the summer's freshest veggies including perfectly ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, with a little olive oil and a few seasonings. It takes just 10 minutes to prep before chilling. There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 large English cucumber, peeled
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced
- ¼ small red onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more, for serving)
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2-3 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional, for garnish)
- fresh basil, finely chopped or sliced
- croutons (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- In a blender, add tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture into a glass container and close the lid. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so all the flavors infuse together.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with cherry tomatoes, basil, and croutons, if desired. Add a drizzle of olive oil and serve cold.
Notes
How to store: Gazpacho is intended to be eaten cold and should be stored in the fridge. To keep it fresh, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to freeze: For longer storage, freeze the chilled gazpacho in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months. Let it gradually thaw in the fridge overnight before serving like normal. If it separates, blend or shake thoroughly before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Chill
- Cuisine: Spanish
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