Easy Gazpacho Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • The key to this super fast gazpacho is layering and salting the vegetables above the bread so that their exuded juices get sopped up before blending.
  • For silky smooth gazpacho, blend it on high speed and then strain through a fine-mesh strainer.

A couple of years ago, I produced what was possiblythe most time consuming gazpacho recipe ever. It involved salting vegetables in advance to draw out flavorful internal liquids, freezing the vegetables to break down their cell structure, and puréeing them with bread soaked in vegetable juice and olive oil. It was damn delicious—the best gazpacho I know how to make!—but took in excess of two hours from start to finish. I admit it: It's not exactly the simple, rustic summer dish you want it to be.

That recipe follows what I call the 90/10 rule: When taking a dish from great to excellent, you have to put in 90% more work to make it 10% better. Sometimes, that extra effort is worth it; other times, I'll settle for great-not-perfect in order to save myself a couple hours in the kitchen.

Today, I'm going to share with you the version of gazpacho I make when I'm feeling lazy. Don't worry, it's still knock-your-socks-off tasty.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (1)

Great gazpacho relies on excellent ingredients, so this is one part you definitely don't want to skimp on. Find the freshest, ripest, softest, brightest tomatoes you can, along with some great peppers (I used green bell for their grassy bitterness), a red onion, a cucumber, some garlic, and some herbs. In this case I went with oregano, but you can use any herb you'd like.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (2)

Gazpacho, at its heart, is a bread- and olive oil-based soup, so those had better be good, too. The bread I used was San Francisco sourdough (throw out the crusts or save them for crumbs), and the olive oil was a Colavita's 100% California extra-virgin olive oil, which has a mild, buttery golden flavor.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (3)

The key here is to make sure that every bit of flavor gets extracted from your ingredients. I do this by building things up in layers, starting with the torn-up bread at the bottom of a bowl.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (4)

Next I add a layer of sliced tomatoes and season them generously with salt. The salt will draw out flavorful liquid from inside the tomatoes, which will then drip down and saturate the bread, making it easier to puréein the end.

Next up is a layer of cucumber (I used a seedless English cucumber so I wouldn't have to bother seeding it), sliced garlic, green peppers, onion, and oregano leaves, sprinkled with more salt.

Another layer of salted tomato slices goes on top, along with plenty of olive oil. To give the salt a bit of time to work its magic, I let everything sit for just 30 minutes. Juices drip, bread gets soaked, flavors meld, things get happy.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (6)

Stir it all up just to distribute everything evenly, then load it into the blender in batches.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (7)

If you don't mind a chunkier gazpacho, you can just blend until it comes together. I prefer mine to be silky smooth, so I let it blend on high speed for a full three minutes or so, adding in plenty of sherry vinegar and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour it all through a fine-mesh strainer for ultimate smoothness.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (8)

The easiest way to get soups and purées through a fine-mesh strainer is to press down using the back of a ladle. Forget the spatula!

And lunch is served. Start to finish, about 45 minutes. Is it perfect gazpacho? Nope. Is it 90% perfect gazpacho? Sure is, and that's a pretty darn high percentile if you ask me.

September 2013

This recipe originally appeared as part of the column "The Food Lab Turbo."

Recipe Details

Easy Gazpacho Recipe

Active15 mins

Total45 mins

Serves6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces hearty bread, crusts removed, torn into 1- to 2-inch chunks

  • 3 pounds (about 4 large) very ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 pound (about 1 small) cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

  • 1/3 pound (about 1 small) red onion, peeled and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

  • 1/3 pound (about 1 medium) green or red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into rough 1-inch chunks

  • 1/4 cuproughly chopped fresh oregano leaves

  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar, plus more to taste

  • Chopped herbs such as parsley, chives, or oregano for serving

Directions

  1. Place bread in bottom of a large bowl. Add half of the tomatoes in an even layer on top and season generously with salt and pepper. Add cucumbers, onion, peppers, and garlic. Sprinkle with oregano and season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining tomatoes and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Drizzle oil and vinegar over the top. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

    Easy Gazpacho Recipe (9)

  2. Toss all ingredients with a wooden spoon or by hand until they are evenly incorporated. Transfer half of the contents, including liquid at bottom of bowl, to the jar of a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes. Press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Repeat with remaining soup (you may need to work in more batches). Season soup with more salt, pepper, and vinegar as desired.

    Easy Gazpacho Recipe (10)

  3. Serve immediately, garnish with chopped herbs and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, or chill for up to 3 days before serving.

    Easy Gazpacho Recipe (11)

Special Equipment

Blender, fine-mesh strainer

Notes

You can save your bread crusts and turn them into fresh breadcrumbs for recipes here.

Easy Gazpacho Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the bitterness out of gazpacho? ›

Too bitter? Add some fresh fruit, more tomatoes, or even a pinch of sugar.

Do you have to peel tomatoes for gazpacho? ›

Although it's often okay to leave on tomato skins when cooking them, they are too fibrous to slurp in soup form. To remove the skins, mark a small "X" on the bottom, gently lower them into boiling water for 30 seconds, then shock in ice water. The skins will slip right off, and you can proceed with the gazpacho recipe.

Is gazpacho really healthy for you? ›

But the benefits of gazpacho go beyond the temperature. Made from tomatoes and vegetables, it carries numerous health benefits, too. It's a source of Vitamin vitamin A, Vitamin vitamin C, and Vitamin vitamin E, along with several other minerals and nutrients.

What is Spanish gazpacho made of? ›

Ingredients and preparation

Most gazpacho includes stale bread, tomato, cucumbers, onion, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, wine vinegar, water, and salt. Northern recipes often include cumin and/or pimentón (smoked sweet paprika).

What is good to serve with gazpacho? ›

Roasted chickpeas, croutons, chopped hard boiled eggs, and avocado would be delicious toppings too. Round out the meal with good crusty bread, socca, or avocado toast. For a heartier meal, serve this easy gazpacho with grilled vegetables and romesco sauce, your favorite protein, or a summer veggie frittata.

Does gazpacho taste better the next day? ›

Yes, it does! Gazpacho should be chilled for at least 30 minutes before serving, but letting it chill overnight is best, to allow all of the flavors to meld together.

How do you know when gazpacho has gone bad? ›

One can determine the freshness of gazpacho by looking for changes in color and smell. A dimming of the vibrant hues of the vegetables or an off-putting odor can signal that the gazpacho may no longer be fresh and should be discarded. Signs of spoilage: Color change from bright to dull.

Why is my gazpacho orange? ›

While a gustatorily stultifying purée of tomatoes and tomato juice is lipstick-red, real gazpacho falls somewhere between pink and orange, thanks to the olive oil, bread, and nuts. But you can trick the eye by adding a nice green garnish.

What is a substitute for tomato juice in gazpacho? ›

If you're making gazpacho and don't have tomato juice, you can use a combination of blended fresh tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumber, and a splash of vinegar as a substitute. This mixture will still give your gazpacho the desired tomato-like base and refreshing flavor.

How long does gazpacho keep in the fridge? ›

If you prefer your gazpacho to have a chunky texture, it's best not to freeze it. Freezing and thawing can cause the vegetables to break down and become mushy, which will affect the texture of your soup. Instead, make your gazpacho fresh and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.

What is gazpacho in english? ›

Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities and cold serving temperature. To the traditional ingredients red fruits such as strawberries, muskmelon, etc., may be added, making the gazpacho a bit sweeter.

Is gazpacho good for losing weight? ›

A bowl of Gazpacho at the start of a meal is one of the best ways of losing weight sensibly when you have a "Protein-Vegetable" day.

Is gazpacho good for blood pressure? ›

Regular consumption of cold gazpacho soup can help to battle high blood pressure and cut heart disease risk, say researchers.

Is gazpacho high in sugar? ›

As can be observed in Figure 4, gazpacho shows the highest amount of free sugar, alcohol and most micronutrients. This cold tomato soup is the second tested food in iron, phosphorus and zinc content.

What is green gazpacho made of? ›

Give the celery, peppers, cucumbers, bread, chili,​ and garlic a rough chop. Place in a blender and add the sugar, walnuts, spinach, basil, parsley, vinegar, oil, yogurt, most of the water, half the ice cubes, the salt, and some white pepper. Blitz the soup until smooth.

Where is gazpacho soup from? ›

gazpacho, cold soup of Spanish cuisine, especially that of Andalusia. It is an ancient dish mentioned in Greek and Roman literature, although two of the main ingredients of the modern version, tomatoes and green peppers, were brought to Spain from the New World only in the 16th century.

What is the Spanish brand of gazpacho? ›

In 1992, Alvalle became the first brand to craft an authentic ready-to-eat gazpacho and it's the #1 brand in Spain.

Why do people eat gazpacho? ›

Gazpacho is a cold soup that originated in Andalusia, Spain. It is a refreshing dish that is perfect for hot summer days, and it has become popular around the world. Gazpacho is known for its bright red color and fresh taste, and it is a great vegan option for those who want to enjoy a tasty and healthy meal.

References

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