Everybody needs to know how to make themselves a classic cooling tomato gazpacho when the temperatures soar. This simple chilled Spanish soup is the ultimate refresher.
Gazpacho is one of the glories of summer
This lovely cold, raw soup has to be made with garden fresh tomatoes ~ forget about eating it during the rest of the year, you can only make and enjoy a truly great gazpacho in the summer. Its charm lies in the exhilarating inverse proportion of sweltering hot (you) to icy cold (it). Think of it this way: if its hot enough to ripen tomatoes on the vine, it’s gazpacho time! I can make gazpacho out of all sorts of tomatoes, from classic red to colorful heirlooms. Use this gazpacho recipe as a template to create your own unique take!
I love the soft unique colors that come from using heirloom tomatoes, and even when you use red ripe tomatoes the color is much softer once you’ve blended them up. The soft glistening colors seem to make gazpacho extra refreshing.
If you’d like a deep rich red color to your gazpacho, blend in some roasted red peppers, the kind you buy in the jar. It’s my secret weapon when I’m craving a rich red color in my soup. They give the base of the soup a vivid shade and add a layer of smokey flavor. You can see the power of roasted red peppers in action in my Middle Eastern Roasted Red Pepper Dip.
For the rest of the veggies in this gazpacho recipe seek out the freshest possible…a nice, taut young cucumber (preferably pickling or English, they have less seeds) a deep purple red onion, and the brightest bell peppers you can locate. Grab a few cherry tomatoes for garnish, along with a few small edible blossoms. If you have a yard, you probably have some growing somewhere, and if you don’t have a yard, take a walk around the block and see what you can find (make sure they’re unsprayed and pesticide free.) I have a handy list of common edible flowers in my Spring Salad with Edible Flowers post.
Tip: I make the gazpacho base the day before I want to serve the soup, that way the flavors have a chance to develop and it makes it so easy to assemble for a quick dinner with crusty bread and wine.
serving suggestion: Bodum double walled glasses
I’m kind of obsessed with my small but growing collection of this Swiss designed glassware. It’s made of heat resistant borosilicate glass, which is insulating, so it keeps hot food hot and cold food cold. I love that I can drink hot cocoa or mulled wine from them and not burn my hands. These glasses keep my gazpacho icy cold, just the way it should be, plus it looks so chic.
Tomato Gazpacho Recipe
Equipment
- blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb ripe tomatoes
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, optional, for added color and flavor
- 5 1/2 ounces tomato juice, also optional. It adds a more 'tomatoey flavor.
- 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar, substitute any vinegar you like
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon, optional, taste first
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 red onion, finely minced
- 1 colorful bell pepper, finely minced
- about an 8 inch piece of seedless cucumber, finely minced, no need to peel.
garnish
- small basil or cilantro leaves
- a few heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
- edible blossoms
- a drizzle of olive oil
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and give them a rough chop. Add half of them to a food processor, along with the roasted red pepper, and process until very smooth. Add in the tomato juice and pulse to combine.
- Add the rest of the tomatoes and pulse till they are incorporated but not quite as smooth, so you will have a little bit of texture.
- Season the soup with the vinegar, olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and remove it to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or until ready to serve.
- When you are ready to serve, give the soup a stir and taste it to adjust the seasonings. It may need more salt, or more lemon, for instance. Then spoon into small bowls or glasses and top with the finely minced onion, peppers, and cucumbers.
- Garnish as you like, with halved cherry tomatoes, small basil or cilantro leaves, and edible flowers, if you have them. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Your Gazpacho looks delicious!
I want to share some other ingredients I add. A small piece of bread for a heavier texture, half a cucumber and half a red pepper and blend.
As garnish, I also add some diced avocado.
Sounds fantastic 🙂
I love this recipie. The other day I had v8 hot and spicy at home so I used that instead of tomato juice. It gave the soup a kick.
I love that idea!
This is the best Gazpacho soup I have had. I also loved your cauliflower and yogurt soup. Do you have any other chilled soup recipes?
I’m so glad to hear that Amy — I loved chilled soups. I also have a chilled strawberry soup (https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2014/04/simple-roasted-strawberry-soup.html) and a chilled beet soup (https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2012/06/chilled-beet-soup.html) And you should check out my Pinterest board, there are a ton of beautiful examples there — http://www.pinterest.com/slmoran21/chilled-soups/
I love gazpacho! Can’t wait till my tomatoes are ready. Pretty photos and presentation!
What a beautiful soup! Great idea to use garden tomatoes for this recipe. The flowers are stunning on top of it.
One of the prettiest gazpacho’s ever! Yum 🙂
Agreed. I added a splash of tobacco and worcestshire sauce and celery pepper to mine the other day.. and realised shit I sort of made a virgin bloody mary soup lol. Definitely trying your version with roasted red pepper- reckon it adds a lot of natural sweetness and flavour. Ace idea! And that soup looks really pretty with a all the colours!
Thanks Shu. I considered doing a Bloody Mary version of this soup, that sounds really great. As for the roasted red pepper, it really adds a lot.
Our Toms are still green, but when they ripen we shall not deprive ourselves. Gazpacho here we come!
I’m sure you make one glorious gazpacho out of that garden of yours!
Great gazpacho recipe! And i love borage flowers!