Classic Spanish Gazpacho is the perfect summer soup – chilled, savory, and full of rich, robust, garden-fresh goodness.
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I remember the first time I ever ate gazpacho: I have to admit, I was dubious. Cold tomato soup? Really? I was twenty and I’d never eaten cold soup of any kind before. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to either, but I was at a luncheon hosted by a friend’s mom, and you remember what your mama always told you when you went to eat at other peoples’ houses, right? Anyway, when I tasted it, I found it to be surprisingly rich and savory, with slightly sweet overtones and more body than I expected from a purely vegetable-based soup.
Since then, I’ve worked to perfect my own gazpacho recipe, one little batch at a time. At this point, I think it’s pretty darn awesome.
Gazpacho Starter Kit 😉 For reference, the big tomato on the right side (at 3 ‘o clock) is about five inches across.
As far as I’m concerned, there is only one good time of year (in the Northern Hemisphere) to make traditional tomato-based gazpacho: in the waning months of summer and through September, when the gardens and farmers markets are overflowing with warm, fat, vine-ripened tomatoes and shiny sweet peppers.
The picture above shows a single day’s harvest from our garden last week. Thanks almost entirely to Mr B’s dedicated gardening skills, we are flush with a wide variety of tomatoes, cukes, and peppers! In an effort to use everything at its peak of freshness, I decided to make a big batch of gazpacho to get us through a busy week. (Gazpacho will keep about a week in the fridge.)
Garden Tip: We plant marigolds in our garden as part of our organic pest control plan. You probably already know that they repel a number of creepy-crawlies, but did you know that they are edible? Marigolds have a slight citrus flavor, and can range from spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery, making them great for salads or as a pretty garnish on any savory dish.
Garden Fresh Gazpacho
Ingredients
Tomato Mix 1
- 4 lbs. vine-ripened tomatoes peeled & diced 1/4"
- 1 lb. cucumbers peeled, seeded & diced 1/4"
- 1/2 lb red orange, yellow or green bell peppers, seeded & diced
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced 1/8"
- 1/2 lb. onion diced 1/4"
- 15-20 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1-3 teaspoons Sriracha or other hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder optional **
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Tomato Mix 2
- 1 lb tomatoes roughly chopped (or cherry tomatoes)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 lime - juice & zest
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine Tomato Mix 1 ingredients: diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion, basil, garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, Sriracha, and pepper. Toss thoroughly to combine.
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In a blender jar, combine Tomato Mix 2 ingredients: Rough chopped tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, balsamic, and Worcestershire sauce. Puree mixture until smooth.
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Pour Mix 2 into bowl with Mix 1 and stir to combine.
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Using a hand-blender, puree the two mixtures together until it reaches the desired consistency. If you like your gazpacho very chunky, you don't need to do this step. (See Blender Note below)
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Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.
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Garnish with additional diced veggies, avocado, and/or sour cream. Serve cold.
Recipe Notes
This recipes lends itself easily to halving or doubling.
Serve with hearty, rustic bread on the side.
** In my most recent batch of gazpacho, I subbed in a teaspoon of my Spicy Rockfish Dry Rub for the chili powder. Totally awesome – I highly recommend it!!
Blender Note: Some people like their gazpacho very chunky, while others prefer it completely pureed: the choice is yours. If you don’t have a hand-blender, you can definitely do the last step in your regular blender jar: just puree about half the total mixture in the blender and then remix everything together. That said, I prefer the hand-blender method because I think it allows for better control of the final product.
Final Thoughts: Like biting into the perfect BLT, for most of us there is only a narrow window of opportunity each year to enjoy truly great gazpacho. Certainly you can make it year round, but don’t try making gazpacho in February with my recipe. (How often do you read about bloggers expressly advising you not to use their recipe?) If you want great garden-fresh gazpacho, and you have a bunch of ripe, sweet tomatoes, then this is your gazpacho recipe. However, if all you have are those hard little red balls they sell in the grocery stores in the winter months, then look for a recipe that uses canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato juice. Hot house tomatoes and the like simply do not have the depth of flavor or sugar content to make it worthwhile. (Nor do they taste like actual tomatoes.)
Some things are worth the wait.
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I don’t think I have ever had gazpacho before, but it sounds like something I would love. I need to make it a point to try it SOON.
It looks amazing and I just love how fresh the ingredients are! It’s such a nice recipe to make especially for lunch! I’m pretty sure my husband will like this one as well.
It is a shame the vegetables come so late in the season because it is already cool by me. Your garden is amazing and the recipe is perfect for your harvest.
I’m one of those that likes for gazpacho to be pretty smooth and creamy rather then chunky – I also like it in big bowls! I like this recipe because it has a lot of layers of ingredients to contribute flavors, pinning it for when I have time and for another way to use up summer tomatoes!
Our garden, what I thought wasn’t going to make it, survived, and has produced so many tomatoes and peppers. I have all the fresh veggies to make this!
Wow, my husband would love this! It makes me sad that I have a hard time eating lots of veggies since I had my gallbladder taken out, it looks yummy!
This looks like a hearty, savory dish! I’ve never had gazpacho before but this looks very flavorful! Need to try this!
I’ve never actually tried gazpacho before. Looks yummy! Will definitely try out your recipe!
I love Gazpacho and the spice blend that you use in your versions sounds absolutely fantastic Renee!
I’m not a big gazpacho fan. Probably because I only really like warmed tomatoes. But I do have it once or twice a year when it is warmer and the cooling nature is extra enticing. Your gazpacho looks really good so I’ll have to give it a try.
I used to live in Spain and I’m a gazpacho snob. Lol. I will definitely give this a try, I’m always looking for a recipe I like!
Gazpacho is the perfect, classic taste of summer for me. All the fresh produce just combines into the perfect bite. I’m pinning this recipe for later and I can’t wait to try it soon.
Yum! Looks delicious. And that’s crazy you harvested all of that in one day from your garden! I wish I had a green thumb 🙂
I have never had this kind of soup. I have just recently gotten into liking more than basic soups so i haven’t ventured into cold soup yet.
Mmmm gazpacho!! I kept meaning to make gazpacho this summer and I haven’t yet. This looks amazing, Renee!
This sounds so good. I love gazpacho and it’s one of the best ways to enjoy the fresh produce for the season. This recipe is packed with lovely flavors that I enjoy!
I’m a huge soup lover so I can’t believe I’ve never tried gazpacho. This looks amazing and so healthy! I’m always looking for different ways to get my family to eat their veggies and this seems like the perfect opportunity.
You make such a good point that you need GOOD TOMATOES to make fresh gazpacho. You just cannot make this in the winter. But now, when gardens are busting at the seams? Perfect!
What a delicious way to use up your garden’s harvest. I need to give this a try with mine!
ooo this looks amazing! I love the idea of using fresh foods in cooking and try our hardest to buy fresh produce. Now I have something else to make it with 🙂
I’ve never had Gazpacho before, but it looks and sounds yummy! I would love to have this some time.
I am in love with gazpacho. LOVE it. I am a huge tomato fan and of course, who doesn’t like tomatoes???
Ugh I’m really not a fan of gazpacho. I struggle with temperatures of food. If it’s hot then it should be hot, and my mind tells me soup should be hot. I just can’t get my mind around it enough to enjoy it.
I’ve never made gazpacho but it seems like a great way to use up fresh garden vegetables.
I have never tried gazpacho before! I guess there is something about it being cold that has bothered me, but my family loves it! so i will definitely keep this recipe.
I love gazpacho, and honestly never tried to make it. Not sure why. Maybe because I thought it was much harder to make than it really is. Thanks for the recipe.
Thrifting Diva
http://www.thriftingdiva.com
I love soup but I have to admit I have never tried a cold tomato soup but I like how this serving can last a week in the fridge. Now that is what you call a practical and delicious meal x
Oh my word this looks so good! I am definitely adding this to my meal plan!
This gazpacho dish looks absolutely delicious. I haven’t ever heard of gazpacho or tried it, but I love incorporating more vegetables into my life, and this seems like a dish that will do it ;).
This looks wonderful! I wish we had a thriving garden so we could have fresh veggies for dinner.
Oh yum! I’ve always wanted to try my hand at making this. It always seemed so hard but now I have to try this one!