Silky smooth tomato gazpacho made the traditional Spanish way with loads of summers best produce and a few extra additions to really make this chilled soup pop with flavor!
Traditional Gazpacho
There is nothing better on a hot day, than an ice cold bowl of chilled smooth tomato gazpacho.
Gazpacho is a traditional Spanish soup is made with copious amounts of produce, including tomatoes, onions and garlic and thickened with stale bread.
The stale bread addition is an Andaluz tradition and gives the gazpacho body and texture. The bounty of summers produce provide enough liquid to blend the gazpacho to be a smooth and satisfying soup
Other Varieties of Traditional Gazpacho
There are so many different versions of traditional gazpacho, such as yellow tomato gazpacho that is just as delicious and bright as it looks.
Another traditional Spanish gazpacho is a white gazpacho, also called ajo blanco in Spanish.
If you don't prefer tomatoes, this Spanish white gazpacho recipe is flavored with soaked almonds and sweet grapes.
Gazpacho Ingredients
This is the time of year to use the best that summers produce has to offer. Because gazpacho is a raw chilled soup, flavorful, in season tomatoes are crucial.
- Tomatoes: A really good gazpacho deserves the best tomatoes! Heirloom tomatoes, roma tomatoes or sweet cherry tomatoes.
- Red Onion: A little sweeter than white onion, though if sweet onions are in season, use that.
- Cucumber: Persian cucumbers have a thinner peel than traditional cucumbers and less seeds. If you are making a smooth gazpacho, the peels will be left behind. If you are leaving the gazpacho chunky, I recommend peeling the cucumber for a better texture.
- Bell Peppers: Sweet red, orange or yellow bell peppers are ideas to add more sweetness to the gazpacho.
- Jalapeño: Added with seeds for a bit of heat, If you don't prefer spicy, omit all together. If you like a small amount of heat, remove some of the seeds.
- Garlic: Just a few cloves to that added bite.
- Stale Bread: Traditional gazpacho uses stale bread that is soaked in a bit of water and then marinated with the other produce. Stale bread is ideal to achieve the perfect gazpacho texture.
- Olive Oil: Because this is a raw soup, a really flavorful extra virgin olive oil is essential. Some personal favorites is this organic Argentinian olive oil. and this Italian olive oil that I use just as a finishing oil to garnish on top of the gazpacho.
- Red Wine Vinegar: A few dashes of sharp red wine vinegar take the gazpacho from 'oh that's good', to 'WOW!' The acidity immediately punches up all of the other flavors!
How to Make Smooth Tomato Gazpacho
- In a medium sized bowl, roughly tear up bread and add enough water to soak all the bread for 10 minutes.
2. Squeeze out any excess water from the bread and add all the chopped vegetables, garlic and drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good mix so all the flavors are combined and let mixture sit for at least 20 minutes.
3. Add mixture to a food processor or blender and blend until pureed well and there are no large pieces left over.
Add a few dashes of red wine vinegar, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
4. Pour the gazpacho through a fine mesh strainer and use a spoon to press onto the pulp to get as much liquid out as possible.
5. Chill gazpacho for at least 1 hour. Then pour smooth gazpacho into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped tomatoes, peppers and onion.
Can you Make Gazpacho Ahead of Time?
Gazpacho is a perfect recipe to make ahead of time. You can make gazpacho for up to 3 days in advance. This gives the gazpacho time to chill and for all the flavors to blend together.
Can you Freeze Gazpacho?
Gazpacho freezes very well. Once thawed. there may be residual water and that's ok, just give the gazpacho a good mix or pulse in the blender a few times and it's good as new.
How to Serve Gazpacho?
You can serve gazpacho as a main course or appetizer. For an appetizer, pour gazpacho into shot glasses with a drizzle of olive oil and flakey sea salt.
To serve gazpacho as a main, pour chilled gazpacho into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and top with minced onion, bell pepper and tomato.
Smooth Tomato Gazpacho
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 thick slice of baguette or ciabatta dried
- 2 pounds tomatoes plum, cherry, roma or heirloom, chopped
- 1 Persian cucumber chopped
- ¼ red onion chopped
- 5-6 baby bell peppers or 1 red bell pepper, seeded adn chopped
- 1-2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 small jalapeno chopped and seeded (optional for less heat)
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
- Ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2-3 dashes of red wine vinegar
Toppings
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Minced red onion
- Minced cucumber
- Minced bell pepper
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, roughly tear up bread and add enough water to soak all the bread for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze out any excess water from the bread and add all the chopped vegetables, garlic and drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good mix so all the flavors are combined and let mixture sit for at least 20 minutes.
- Add mixture to a food processor or blender and blend until pureed well and there are no large pieces left over.
- Add a few dashes of red wine vinegar, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Pour the gazpacho through a fine mesh strainer and use a spoon to press onto the pulp to get as much liquid out as possible.
- Chill gazpacho for at least 1 hour. Then pour smooth gazpacho into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and finely chopped tomatoes, peppers and onion.
Katie says
This recipe is an absolute dream! Super easy to make and so delicious and CREAMY!!
nancy says
perfect tomato soup for a sunny day!
Jess says
This is perfect on a rainy day!
Giangi says
That looks amazing
daphne says
Tempting. .its a comfort food, it's ♥♥♥
Samantha says
Thank you so much Jamie!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
This soup is GORGEOUS. and so luscious looking!
Stach @ Stacy Eats says
Sounds delicious! I definitely need to make this because I've been craving gazpacho in this heat!
Samantha says
Please do make this! I am planning on making another batch this weekend as well!
Vicky says
YUMM I looove gazpacho! When I studied abroad in Madrid my host family gave me their family recipe and i've made it several times - so good!
Samantha says
Ohhh I love that!! Do you plan on writing about it anytime soon?
Cassie says
I love how smooth this looks. I'm a big fan of gazpacho!!
Miriam @ Overtime Cook says
This looks delicious, and I LOVE your tomato picture. (Guess I should be eating my words now, huh? Lol.)