Gazpacho, a refreshing chilled soup made with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, is a delicious dish for hot summer days. Blend the fresh ingredients, refrigerate overnight, and enjoy this soup cold, topped with homemade croutons.
Traditional Gazpacho Recipe
This gazpacho recipe is a chilled Spanish soup made by blending fresh raw heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, shallots, olive oil, and vinegar. Like my cold cucumber soup, it’s truly one of my favorite celebrations of summer’s best ingredients! Blended until smooth and chilled before serving, the result is a refreshing, vibrant cold soup. I like to top my gazpacho with more diced cucumbers and peppers, microgreens or fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. For more recipes using ripe summer tomatoes, try my Summer Tomato Salad, Tomato Caprese Salad, or this Tuscan Panzanella Salad.
Why I Love Gazpacho In the Summer
This is the best gazpacho recipe, so refreshing and flavorful. I’ve tried many versions of this cold dish that blend bread with the vegetables to thicken the soup, but I much prefer including bread in the form of sourdough croutons on top. It adds delicious crunch, and keeps the soup light! Here’s why this gazpacho is a summer staple around here:
- Simple, in-season ingredients: Gazpacho is a classic example of how simple, quality ingredients can create a dish greater than the sum of its parts. Tomatoes are the star of this dish, so make this easy gazpacho recipe in the summer when they’re at their peak.
- Gazpacho is the perfect starter to any meal. It’s light and delicious and goes well with many summer dishes.
- Cool and refreshing. Gazpacho is the best for satisfying a soup craving in hot weather. This soup is loaded with colorful vegetables, has minimal added fat, and is low in carbs.
- Effortless. Just blend everything and chill.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The chilled soup is all about letting the flavors of the fresh, raw ingredients shine. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Tomatoes: This gazpacho recipe will be as good as the quality of the tomatoes you use. I love using red heirloom tomatoes (taste them in my heirloom tomato salad) or beefsteak tomatoes. Vine tomatoes also work.
- Cucumber and bell pepper: Peel one cucumber and core one orange bell pepper or red bell pepper. Save some diced veggies for garnish.
- Shallot and garlic for flavor. If you’d find the taste of raw garlic too strong, roast or saute the garlic.
- Vinegar: You’ll need two tablespoons of sherry vinegar.
- Olive oil to blend into the soup and some to drizzle on top
- Salt to season the soup.
- Sourdough bread for homemade croutons. I have a great, beginner-friendly homemade sourdough recipe, too, if you need one.
- Micro greens or fresh herbs as a topping if you want.
Peeling the Tomatoes
I recommend peeling the tomatoes for gazpacho for the smoothest texture. The quickest and easiest way I’ve found to peel tomatoes is by flash-boiling (blanching) them:
- Start by blanching the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for about 40 seconds, or until the skins begin to split and peel off.
- Take the tomatoes out of the water and remove the skin.
How to Make Gazpacho
Aside from good-quality ingredients, chilling is the second most important component in great homemade gazpacho. I like to prepare my gazpacho the day before, so it can chill down thoroughly overnight before it’s time to serve.
- Combine the gazpacho ingredients. Chop the tomatoes, bell pepper, and cucumber into large chunks. Place them in the blender with the shallot, garlic, oil, vinegar, and salt, and liquefy until smooth.
- Chill the soup. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.
- Toast the croutons. Slice the bread into small cubes. Drizzle with oil and toast in a pan over medium heat until the edges are golden. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Serve. Remove soup from the fridge, transfer to four bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with croutons, microgreens, and diced cucumber or bell pepper.
Variations
- Tomatoes: Substitute Roma tomatoes.
- Bell Pepper: Swap the orange pepper for a yellow or red bell pepper.
- Spicy: Blend in fresh jalapeño, chili flakes, or hot sauce.
- Vinegar: Substitute red wine vinegar for sherry.
- Herbs: Top your gazpacho with fresh basil or mint.
What to Serve With Gazpacho
If I’m serving gazpacho as a meal, I’ll pair it with a green salad. As a first course, gazpacho makes an excellent starter alongside tapas-style small plates, like Spanish tortilla or pan con tomate.
Main dishes
Salad ideas
How to Store Gazpacho
- Refrigerate gazpacho in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Do not freeze this fresh soup as the texture and flavor just aren’t the same once it’s thawed.
FAQs
Gazpacho is a chilled soup that originates from Andalusia, the southern region of Spain, where hot summers call for hydrating dishes. It’s different from traditional tomato soup recipes since it’s made from blended raw ingredients and served cold.
Yes, gazpacho is eaten cold. There’s no need to warm it.
I prefer to peel the tomatoes for the smoothest consistency. If you have a very powerful blender, it may not be necessary.
More Summer Soup Recipes You’ll Love
Soup recipes aren’t just for colder weather! With the right ingredients and seasonal flavors, these homemade soups are delicious, easy ways to use up fresh summer produce.
Gazpacho Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs red heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes
- 1 9 ounce cucumber, peeled, plus more diced for garnish
- 1 orange bell pepper, seeded and cored, plus more diced for garnish
- ½ shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 slice sourdough bread, about 1 ounce
- micro greens, or fresh basil, optional topping
Instructions
- Blanch tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for about 40 seconds or until the skin begins to peel off. Remove the skin.
- Chop tomatoes, bell pepper and cucumber into large chunks. Place in the blender with the shallot, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Liqueify until smooth.
- Pour into glassware and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld.
- To make homemade croutons, slice the bread into small cubes. Toast on a pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat until the edges are golden. Top with a pinch of salt.
- Transfer to 4 bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, homemade croutons, micro greens and your choice of diced cucumber or bell pepper.
Delicious way to use excess garden produce. I freeze it for a bright taste of summer in the winter.
I make this with jalapeños, cherry tomatoes because I have too many, and add V-8.
Very good and simple to make. Could use a little pepper and a splash of hot sauce!
This is the best, easiest, tastiest, most delicious gazpacho recipe ever!
Thanks!
This is the basis for our summertime staple and we make about a gallon at a time using all raw ingredients. Options: You can skip blanching the tomatoes if you want to use the skins. If you find the raw garlic flavor too strong, roast or saute the garlic in olive oil for slight caramelization and a mellower flavor.
This is my wife’s favorite recipe from Skinnytaste. She loves it every time I make it and wanted me to pass her appreciation along.
I’m so glad!!
The gazpacho is yummy! It was quick and easy. I used my food processor, but I would like a smoother consistency. Can you recommend a good blender? I can’t wait to make this again.
I have collected and tried sooo many gazpacho recipes. This one has the fewest ingredients and it tastes the absolute best! Yum! 😋
Thanks!
I love love LOVE this summer soup! It is SO easy and favorable; it’s hard to believe that blanching the tomatoes is what takes the most time. The only change I make is that I use store bought croutons.
Beautiful recipe for gazpacho
This was incredible! Easy and delicious. The entire family loved it. Will have to double the recipe next time!
Great!!
Great recipe! We made this with heirloom tomatoes and everyone loved it-even my 11 month old son! So refreshing on a hot summer day. This will be my go-to recipe for gazpacho from now on.
I have made several Gazpacho soup over the years; but this was hands down the best! I made just as written using 3 heirlooms and 1 beefsteak except used 1.5 t salt. Served with salad and crusty bread and was delish! My husband wants it again next week when I go to the Farmers Market. Thank you Gina for all you do.
Thanks Jean! Glad you enjoyed it!
Outstanding! I did not take the skins off the tomatoes- and added an extra cucumber because our garden has exploded- and it turned out delicious. Put the whole thing in the food processor. Wish I would have doubled it. Stellar recipe!!
My family loved it! I suggest the overnight refrigeration- and double the servings. It’s that good!
Delicious, easy recipe. Knowing my blender, I blanched and peeled the tomatoes as the recipe calls for and seeded the cucumber to make sure it ended up smooth. So good even without the toppings!
I love gazpacho and this recipe is fantastic! I’ve made it twice now and will continue to make all summer!!
this was outstanding; rarely leave reviews but woah this was too good. i was too lazy to blanch tomatoes/and i subbed roma tomatoes; delicious. and so easy! its a keeper
This recipe is easy and delicious! Summer heirloom tomatoes are perfect right now so take advantage if you can. The only change I had to make was rice vinegar instead of sherry vinegar since I didn’t have any. And I blended everything except the olive oil and then added it very slowly with the processor running so I could get a nice emulsion that wouldn’t separate. My family could also see the possibilities of changing the flavor up a bit with herbs or spices but it is very tasty as is!
Fantastic! And so quick and easy! Thank you!
Delicious, wouldn’t change a thing!
So easy to make. I did add some roasted garlic powder to the croutons as I was sautéing and a sprinkle of parmesan reggiano. Just added an extra oomph!
This was delicious and pretty authentic! I didn’t peel the tomatoes (I don’t mind it a little chunky) so it was quick and easy. I doubled the recipe and froze some!
When you want to drink it from the jar, it’s better than good! LOL I used Roma tomatoes, orange pepper, and sherry vinegar. By itself it’s slightly salty (IMO). However, when you add the toppings it seems to balance itself. I will likely reduce the salt moving forward. Also looking forward to trying to recipe with heirlooms next.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Made this tonight. Delicious! Made it in the blender in 2 batches so it wasn’t overloaded, didn’t peel the tomatoes to save time. Used an orange bell pepper. So good! I think I’ll have this often during the summer! Thanks for such an easy and delicious recipe!!!
Made this today. Super quick and easy, and sooo delicious! Will definitely make again!
This looks so good, I am making it now. Taste is great but needs to be in the fridge for a bit.
Fast (in my vitamix), easy and super delicious!
Hi Gina,
Can you use a food processor instead of a blender? Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks!
I will be chunky, the blender is better in my opinion.
This looks like a great recipe and can’t wait to try it. One minor nit … gazpacho is an ensalada not a sopa
Soooo good!!!
Fabulous.
Although I haven’t made this gazpacho, I know just by the ingredients to give it only three stars. I’m not Spanish but I am married to a Spaniard from Andalucia and have lived in Spain for most of my 47 years of married life. Gina has almost got it right. This soup or cold drink was invented by peasants and shepherds who with simple, inexpensive and at hand ingredients fed and cooled themselves in the summer months. The tomatoes used should be inexpensive , in season tomatoes. My preference are plum tomatoes which are quite meaty. I don’t peal them anymore as I have a Thermomix cooker/blender which makes pealing them unnecessary. I have always just taken off only part of the cucumbers skin, no need to add more work. In Spain the green pepper added is the long Italian frying pepper which is most commonly used for all dishes. And if you must add onion, a plain brown onion will suffice. Remember, this has traditionally been made with ingredients at hand and shallots in Spain are considered a luxury ingredient. Perhaps my main disagreement with this recipe is the amount of oil used. The usual amount oil required to give the gazpacho flavor, smoothness and to emulsify this soup, is between 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. This “soup” is normally served ice cold and preferably not too thick as in many households it’s served in a glass to drink as a first course. And please do not drizzle oil to serve!! If you would like to eat a cold tomato soup try the Salmorejo or Porra made with day old bread which makes it thick and great to top off with a fried or hard boiled egg, tuna, Serrano ham bits or even any of the latter with crumbled potato chips. Makes for a refreshing light dinner in summer. I do enjoy Ginas’ recipes and this one is a reminder that I’ve got to get some gazpacho in the fridge!!
Perhaps you can try this and see how you like it before rating it!
I’m trying today!!!! Following your recipe to a T!!!!!! I’m baffled as to why someone would leave this comment on your thread? People are … interesting! Thanks gena!
A heartfelt apology to Gina for my lengthy and thoughtless comments. I tried the recipe, and like all your recipes I have made, it does deserve the five stars many have given it. Again, my apologies to Gina and the other commenters who rightly brought this to my attention.
Why would you rate it without even trying it?? And based on how you would make it instead? This review makes no sense. Gina often makes changes in order to lower the calories and fat intake and they are typically as good as, if not better than the original. Sheesh.
Ok Karen. Way to rate something you haven’t even tried. Tacky and rude. Who made you the Gazpacho Police?
Interesting… you should try it! I have spent time in Spain and have a Spanish friend’s recipe, and I found the taste pretty authentic! I think Gina was just trying to lighten it up (it is skinnytaste, after all) which I TOTALLY appreciate.
Your rating it without even trying it? Wow. I am sure that there are as many “right” ways to make Gazpacho as there are many “right” ways to make spaghetti sauce – just ask any Italian. This may not be the way your Spanish husband would make it, doesn’t make it wrong or any less authentic. Thanks for showing us all your superiority. SMH.
I LOVE gazpacho and my go-to recipe is from Alton Brown but I’ve been looking for others for variety and am anxious to try this one.
My question is, the last batch I made, the skin of the red pepper didn’t blend and I found myself picking out pieces of skin. Yuck. Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent that?
I have not made his recipe but a good quality blender should avoid this!
I used canned peppers for this recipe so I didn’t have to worry about the skin.