Gazpacho (Cold Spanish Soup)
This gazpacho recipe is cool, refreshing, and bursting with bright, fresh, veggie flavor. Juicy tomatoes, ripe bell peppers, crisp cucumbers, and zucchini are just a few of the all-stars in this sensational soup.
Gazpacho, commonly called cold Spanish soup, is a signature dish from the world of Spanish cuisine. It is the perfect dish to celebrate the bounty of the tomato harvest while enjoying a cool, refreshing dish. Plus, this gazpacho recipe could not be any easier!
Fresh garden vegetables are pureed with crusty white bread, olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and spices to create this classic culinary gem. Aside from the time needed for chilling, the whole recipe will take you 15 minutes or less to complete.
Table of Contents
For more soups from the Silk Road, check out my Mulligatawny Soup, Sizzling Rice Soup, and this Indian Turkey Lentil Soup.
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes are my favorite choice for their sweetly tart flavor and soft, thin skin. Any healthy, ripe, large tomatoes will do the trick though.
- Bread – Bread is the secret to gazpacho’s thick, satisfying texture. It gives the soup substance while harmonizing the flavors of the vegetables. I recommend sourdough or baguette slices, but any crusty white bread will do the trick.
- Bell Peppers – This gazpacho recipe features the sweetness of red bell peppers and the fresh bitterness of green bell peppers.
- Cucumber – Add a crisp, cool freshness. I recommend choosing a variety with thin, edible skin and very small seeds. Some of my favorite varieties include Persian, Lemon, and English.
- Zucchini – Contributes a mildly sweet flavor with a touch of vegetal bitterness.
- Onion – Perks up the soup with a pop of pungency. I prefer red onion, but feel free to use yellow or white instead.
- Garlic – Adds a bold blast of sharp zestiness.
- Olive Oil – A high-quality olive oil gives the gazpacho a smooth, creamy richness and helps marry all the other flavors together.
- Sherry Vinegar – Accentuates the natural deliciousness of the veggies while adding a delightful tanginess. If needed, you can substitute in a similar vinegar like apple cider vinegar or slightly sweeter balsamic vinegar.
- Oregano – Infuses the Spanish cold soup with an aromatic, earthy, and spicy taste.
- Salt – Enhances and balances all the flavors in the gazpacho recipe. I like Kosher salt, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- Black Pepper – Enlivens the recipe with a sharp snap of peppery goodness.
- Sugar – Helps balance the louder flavors of the recipe with a harmonizing dash of sweetness.
- Blend Tomatoes & Bread. Use a food processor or blender to puree the bread and tomatoes together until blended. Set the mixture aside to soak while preparing the vegetables.
- Chop the Veggies. Trim the ends off of all the vegetables and the tops off of the bell peppers. Remove and discard the outer skin of the onions. Cut each cucumber, zucchini, bell pepper, and red onion in half. Dice one-half of each veggie. Put the diced vegetables in bowls, cover, and place in the refrigerator to be used for toppings.
- Puree the Remaining Veggies. Cut the remaining halves into quarters and add them to the food processor or blender with the tomato and bread mixture. Now, add the garlic, olive oil, water, vinegar, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Puree the mixture until it is well blended, then season to taste.
- Transfer & Chill. Transfer the gazpacho to a container or pitcher. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3-4 hours.
- Stir & Garnish. Give your Spanish cold soup a nice stir before ladling into bowls. Top with a sprinkling of diced veggies, a few croutons, and a little drizzle of olive oil.
Get creative with your garnish
I’m using a combination of diced cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, red onion, green bell pepper, and croutons. You can feel free to use your favorite veggies, and I also love the idea of topping it with a bit of cheese.
No, it is not necessary to peel the tomatoes for this gazpacho recipe. Tomato skins are rather thin and blend nicely in the food processor. However, if you prefer the smoothest cold Spanish soup possible, feel free to remove the skins from your tomatoes.
To do so, you’ll need to blanch them first. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Make a small X-shaped cut on the bottom of each tomato, then gently lower them into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds and then immediately shock in a bath of ice water.
The skins will peel off with ease and you can continue with the rest of the gazpacho recipe.
If your Spanish cold soup comes out a bit too watery, try adding in up to 1 cup of breadcrumbs or bread chunks. Blend the bread into the mixture before transferring the to the fridge for chilling.
This gazpacho recipe not only keeps well, it actually tastes better a day or two after it is made!
Store any leftover cold Spanish soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze leftover soup for up to 6 months in freezer-safe bags.
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Spanish Gazpacho Soup
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 2 slices sourdough bread (or 6 slices baguette bread)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 cucumber
- 1 zucchini
- 1 small red onion
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 cup croutons for serving
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, add the tomatoes and bread. Puree until blended and let soak for 10 minutes while prepping vegetables.
- Trim tops from bell peppers and trim ends off other vegetables, discard outer onion skin. Cut each bell pepper, cucumber, zucchini and red onion in half. Dice one half of each and place in bowls for toppings. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- Quarter the remaining halves and place in the food processor or blender with tomatoes and bread. Add the water, garlic, oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar. Puree until blended. Season to taste.
- Transfer to pitcher or container and cover. Refrigerate 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, stir, season to taste and ladle into bowls. Top with reserved diced vegetables, croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.
Video
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Thank you for this recipe, I also wanted to tell you that I’ve made your Spanish Gazpach twice this week already, I’m in LOVE with it. I’m not vegan but boy that recipe can make you one! Its so rich and flavorful, you do not miss any meat! I’ve shared your post with my International cooking group, based in Washington State and so far 3 have made it and love it as much as I do!!!! Thank you Kevin, as always, you ROCK 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know!