Classic Gazpacho Recipe

Gazpacho is the quintessential summer soup! This chilled, raw tomato and vegetable soup from Andalusia, Spain is made with the season’s best fresh produce. This simple gazpacho recipe takes only 15 minutes to prep and is a great way to savour the taste of late summer! It’s easy, delicious and doesn’t require any cooking! Plus it’s a great make ahead recipe, as the vegetables can be chopped up and left to marinade in the fridge overnight. The flavor simply gets even better as it sits!

Gazpacho: The Refreshing Chilled Tomato Soup from Spain

Gazpacho is a traditional tomato-based soup from the Andalusia region of Southern Spain. It’s made with raw, blended vegetables and served chilled as a starter or light course with tapas. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, sweet onion, olive oil, vinegar, and often times bread, which can be used to thicken the soup. It’s flavor is refreshing which makes it the perfect thing to make, when the days are hot and fresh tomatoes are at still at their peak.

How to Make Traditional Gazpacho — with or without Bread

This recipe differs from the traditional Andalusian gazpacho as it contains no bread. Bread gives this traditional Spanish soup a unique texture, and can be added if desired. Simple cut away the crust from a slice of leftover bread (e.g. stale sourdough), then soak it in the vinegar, before adding it to the vegetables for blending.

Gazpacho Ingredients

To make this homemade gazpacho recipe, you will need:

• Ripe tomatoes: Tomatoes form the base of this raw soup so you want to use the best tomatoes you can find. Fresh, ripe and juicy tomatoes are the way to go. The best are vine-ripened plum (roma) tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes. If you can, look for local tomatoes at your farmers market.
• Onion: Sweet and savoury onions are the best choice. I like to use either green onions (the white and light green part), bulbous spring onions or white Vidalia onions. You could also use red onions, as the onion flavor will mellow as the soup chills in the fridge.
• Cucumber: Juicy cucumber adds another layer of fresh flavor. If the cucumber has a tick skin then peel it. For this reason, I like to use thin skinned mini cucumbers.
• Red bell pepper: this Spanish soup wouldn’t be complete without sweet bell pepper. Orange or yellow bell pepper can also be used.
• Garlic: One large clove. More if you like.
• Fresh basil: Adding some fresh basil leaves when serving this soup makes it even more irresistible.
• Olive oil: Good quality extra-virgin olive oil is the way to go.
• Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar: A small splash of vinegar brings this soup to life.
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper and a pinch of cayenne. The latter being optional, but a great addition.

How to Make the Best Gazpacho

a) Marinate the Vegetables for Deeper Flavour

The most memorable gazpacho I’ve made came with a brilliant tip from a Swiss-German friend: marinate the chopped vegetables overnight. Letting tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, vinegar and olive oil rest in the fridge gives the flavours time to mingle and deepen. The result? A gazpacho that’s rich, balanced, and far more flavourful than if blended straight away. Even better—leftovers are a bonus. By day three, the flavour is at its peak: vibrant, cool, and incredibly refreshing.

b) Blend Until Smooth (Then Strain If You Prefer It Extra Silky)

Depending on your blender’s size, you may need to work in batches. A high-powered blender will give you the creamiest texture, but even a standard one does the job. For an ultra-smooth finish, pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve after blending—this step is optional but definitely elevates the texture.

c) Chill Thoroughly Before Serving

This is a chilled soup, and it should taste that way—refreshing, crisp, and perfectly cool. Let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours before serving. This not only ensures the ideal temperature, but also allows the flavours to fully come together.

If you enjoyed this refreshing gazpacho, you’ll love these other light and flavourful vegetable soup recipes:

• Vegetable Loaded Detox Cure Soup
• Tomato Orange Soup
• Easy Vegetable Soup
• Simple Carrot and Fennel Soup

5 from 1 vote

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Classic Gazpacho

Spanish chilled Gazpacho soup is a wonderful make-ahead summer recipe that just gets better with time. Quick to prep and no cooking needed! Serve with bread for a light and delicious lunch. Choose organic, regional produce when possible.

I’d love your feedback – just click on the stars to rate this recipe! ⭐

Course Side Dish

Category Spanish

Prep Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 4

Calories 114 kcal

Autor Elle

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 3 mini cucumbers, seeded, and sliced (300 g) (or 1 large cucumber, peeled if skin is thick, then seeded)
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into wedges
• 1 kg very ripe tomatoes, preferably heirloom or plum, seeded and cut into wedges
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 green onions, white and light green only (50g)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, or to taste
• Fresh basil leaves, to serve

Optional garnishes:

• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• Cherry tomatoes, halved or diced
• A drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Add the chopped vegetables to a large glass or ceramic bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix together with your hands, pressing down to squeeze out the juices. Cover and chill in the fridge. Leave the mixture to marinade for at least 30 mins or overnight (12-24 hours is best).

2. Blend the soup in batches using a high speed blender (alternatively use an immersion blender).

   For an extra-smooth, velvety texture, strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve, using the back of a ladle to gently press it through. This step is optional, but highly recommended for a smoother, more velvety texture.

3. Add the cayenne pepper, vinegar (to taste) and dash of olive oil, and season again with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and chill again until really cold. Once ready to serve, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary,
5. Serve with fresh basil leaves and other optional garnishes. Enjoy!

Notes

• Don’t worry too much about the exact weights they are meant to be a guide.
• You can make this soup up to four days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
• See more tips above.

For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.

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