Best Gazpacho We’ve Ever Made
I’ve tried a lot of gazpacho recipes, but this one is hands-down my favorite! In this (almost) authentic gazpacho recipe, we lightly roast the tomatoes with onions and garlic, making it super delicious and full of flavor! Gazpacho, a chilled soup (sometimes called a salad in Spanish cookbooks) originating from Andalusia, Spain, is traditionally made with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cucumber and often thickened with bread. While authentic gazpacho recipes often use raw ingredients, our favorite recipe takes a slightly different approach. We worked on this with Chef Richard and found that lightly roasting the tomatoes with onions and garlic enhances the tomato flavor and mellows the harshness of the raw garlic and onion, making one of the best bowls of gazpacho I’ve made. Key Ingredients Tomatoes: For the best gazpacho, I use ripe, juicy tomatoes. Summertime is ideal for finding them, but if you’re craving gazpacho out of season, don’t worry! While fresh garden-grown tomatoes usually have way more flavor, since this recipe roasts the tomatoes before blending, store-bought tomatoes work fine. Bell Pepper: I add one roasted red bell pepper to the blender. You can buy jarred roasted peppers or roast your own (I’ve included instructions in the recipe). Onion and Garlic: Roasting the tomatoes with olive oil, onion, and garlic mellows their flavors, making the soup extra delicious. Croutons: Authentic Spanish gazpacho often includes bread blended into the soup for creaminess and thickness. Rustic bread works well, but try my garlic croutons for extra flavor! They’re made with garlic, shallot, and herbs and are also amazing on top of the soup for a nice crunch. Sherry Vinegar: This aged vinegar is traditionally used in Spanish gazpacho (called Vinagre de Jerez in Spain). I love it as an all-purpose vinegar for salad dressings, too. Cucumber: Another classic gazpacho ingredient, I peel and use seedless cucumbers. If your cucumber has seeds, remove them before blending. Tomatoes: For the best gazpacho, I use ripe, juicy tomatoes. Summertime is ideal for finding them, but if you’re craving gazpacho out of season, don’t worry! While fresh garden-grown tomatoes usually have way more flavor, since this recipe roasts the tomatoes before blending, store-bought tomatoes work fine. Bell Pepper: I add one roasted red bell pepper to the blender. You can buy jarred roasted peppers or roast your own (I’ve included instructions in the recipe). Onion and Garlic: Roasting the tomatoes with olive oil, onion, and garlic mellows their flavors, making the soup extra delicious. Croutons: Authentic Spanish gazpacho often includes bread blended into the soup for creaminess and thickness. Rustic bread works well, but try my garlic croutons for extra flavor! They’re made with garlic, shallot, and herbs and are also amazing on top of the soup for a nice crunch. Sherry Vinegar: This aged vinegar is traditionally used in Spanish gazpacho (called Vinagre de Jerez in Spain). I love it as an all-purpose vinegar for salad dressings, too. Cucumber: Another classic gazpacho ingredient, I peel and use seedless cucumbers. If your cucumber has seeds, remove them before blending. How to Make Gazpacho While it’s not 100% necessary, when I make gazpacho, I peel and remove the cores of my tomatoes. After making this recipe a few times, I’ve found that it makes a big difference in the soup’s texture (especially if you don’t have a super high-powered blender). It’s easy to do. Make a shallow “X” on the bottom of each tomato and then boil them for 30 seconds. After that, place them in an ice bath, and the peels will come off quickly. It sounds like a hassle, but it’s not that bad. Then, I roast the tomatoes alongside garlic and onion. They are only in the oven for 20 minutes, but this roasting time helps to deepen their flavors and takes a bit of the bite away from the garlic and onion. Sometimes, raw gazpacho is slightly overpowering, so roasting tones things down a bit. While the oven’s hot, throw in a red bell pepper. Roasting softens the pepper and makes it easy to remove its peel. Now everything is roasted, we can blend the soup. Throw the tomatoes, garlic, onion, and roasted pepper into a blender. Then follow up with peeled and sliced cucumber and some croutons that have sat in a mixture of water and vinegar to soften. Season with salt and pepper, then blend until your desired consistency. Gazpacho is best when chilled for a few hours to let the flavors bloom. I typically make it a day before and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. To serve, add it to a bowl or glass (yep, you can drink it, too). Then, top with some chopped cucumber, tomato, and more croutons. Best Gazpacho We've Ever Made PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins TOTAL 45 mins PREP 15 mins COOK 30 mins TOTAL 45 mins This tomato gazpacho recipe is unbelievably delicious! We peel our tomatoes. It’s easy and develops a much better texture (especially if you don’t have a high-powered blender). It’s not 100% necessary, but after making quite a few batches of this soup, we’ve noticed that those made with peeled tomatoes have a much more pleasant texture. We use this recipe for garlic croutons. If you do not want to make your own, you can substitute store-bought croutons or cubed rustic bread. Makes 6 cups You Will Need 2 ½ pounds (1130g) ripe tomatoes, 6 to 7 medium tomatoes 1 red bell pepper 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled Quarter of a large onion, sliced 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving 1/2 cup garlic croutons, use garlic croutons recipe, or substitute cubed rustic bread 1/4 cup (60ml) water 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar 1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces Salt and fresh ground black pepper Directions Prepare Vegetables 1Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Set aside a wide baking dish as well as a small baking sheet. 2Rub the bell pepper with a bit of olive oil, then place onto the small baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pepper skin looks wrinkly and you see dark spots. Remove from the oven. When the pepper has cooled enough to handle, pinch the skin and peel it away. Slice open the pepper, scrape the stem and seeds, and discard. 3While the pepper roasts, peel tomatoes (optional, but enhances the soup’s texture). Fill a large bowl with water and ice to make an ice bath. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow “X” into the bottom of each tomato. Carefully submerge the tomatoes into the boiling water and leave them for 30 seconds. Transfer to the ice bath. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to do this in two batches. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel away the skins. 4Remove the core, slice each tomato in half, and then place it into the large baking dish (it is okay if they are touching). 5Scatter the smashed garlic cloves and sliced onion around the tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and finish with a few twists of black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Prepare Vegetables 1Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Set aside a wide baking dish as well as a small baking sheet. 2Rub the bell pepper with a bit of olive oil, then place onto the small baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pepper skin looks wrinkly and you see dark spots. Remove from the oven. When the pepper has cooled enough to handle, pinch the skin and peel it away. Slice open the pepper, scrape the stem and seeds, and discard. 3While the pepper roasts, peel tomatoes (optional, but enhances the soup’s texture). Fill a large bowl with water and ice to make an ice bath. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow “X” into the bottom of each tomato. Carefully submerge the tomatoes into the boiling water and leave them for 30 seconds. Transfer to the ice bath. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to do this in two batches. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel away the skins. 4Remove the core, slice each tomato in half, and then place it into the large baking dish (it is okay if they are touching). 5Scatter the smashed garlic cloves and sliced onion around the tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and finish with a few twists of black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes. Blend Soup 1In a small bowl, combine the croutons with water and vinegar. Set aside until the croutons absorb all the liquid and look soggy. 2In a blender, add the tomato mixture with all of the onions, garlic, and juices in the dish. Then top with the bell pepper, crouton mixture, cucumber, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Blend on high until your desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or vinegar. 3Gazpacho tastes best when chilled. If you can, refrigerate for a few hours, if not overnight, to let the flavors bloom. 4Serve drizzled with olive oil and chopped cucumber, tomato, and more croutons on top. Blend Soup 1In a small bowl, combine the croutons with water and vinegar. Set aside until the croutons absorb all the liquid and look soggy. 2In a blender, add the tomato mixture with all of the onions, garlic, and juices in the dish. Then top with the bell pepper, crouton mixture, cucumber, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Blend on high until your desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or vinegar. 3Gazpacho tastes best when chilled. If you can, refrigerate for a few hours, if not overnight, to let the flavors bloom. 4Serve drizzled with olive oil and chopped cucumber, tomato, and more croutons on top. Adam and Joanne's Tips Gluten-free / bread-free: Croutons and bread add a silkiness and thickness to the soup, but you can leave them out and still make excellent gazpacho. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Gluten-free / bread-free: Croutons and bread add a silkiness and thickness to the soup, but you can leave them out and still make excellent gazpacho. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/4 of the recipe (1 1/2 cups) / Calories 218 / Total Fat 11.6g / Saturated Fat 1.7g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 560.6mg / Carbohydrate 26.7g / Dietary Fiber 5.2g / Total Sugars 10.9g / Protein 5.5g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us