When the summer heat is at full blast and the last thing you want to do is cook, it’s time to make Gazpacho. It’s cold, refreshing, it only takes a few minutes to make, and you never have to turn on the stove. Plus, the leftovers are *chef’s kiss* delicious, so you can eat for the next few days with no extra work! So hit up those summer farmers’ markets, grab some fresh produce, and let’s make some gazpacho!
Originally posted 5-3-2010, updated 7-3-2021.
What is Gazpacho?
Gazpacho is a cold, tomato-based soup made with puréed vegetables and other ingredients like bread, herbs, or even fruit. It kind of reminds me of salsa, but with a different flavor profile (so if you’ve ever been tempted to eat salsa straight, gazpacho might be for you). This recipe originated in the Iberian peninsula, namely Portugal and Spain, and has since spread around the world. And like many recipes that have been around for hundreds of years, there are many interpretations of this classic summer soup.
My interpretation of gazpacho is definitely a little non-traditional. For one, I used canned crushed tomatoes and vegetable juice (like V8) in place of fresh tomatoes. Yes, this will make some people clutch their pearls, but I like the full-bodied flavor that the crushed tomatoes bring to the party. Second, I don’t use bread in my gazpacho, which is a common ingredient in traditional gazpacho recipes. Blending a soft bread into the soup gives it an almost creamy flavor and is another way of adding body, so the soup isn’t too watery.
How Do You Serve Gazpacho?
CHILLED. While this soup is pretty tasty even at room temperature, it’s ultra-refreshing when chilled and can really take the edge off that intense summer heat. I like to serve it with some crusty bread on the side for dipping, because every meal is better with a little crusty bread on the side, IMHO. It would also be great with some garlic bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or even some cold pasta salad on the side. And if you want to add a little protein, a few cooled cooked shrimp would be marvelous in this soup!
What Else Can I Add?
Gazpacho is wonderful because it’s very flexible, and that’s another reason there are so many interpretations of this delicious soup. Here are some other ingredients you can toss in, if you have them on hand:
- Fresh herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, chives)
- Soft bread (as mentioned above, this makes the soup almost creamy and gives it body)
- Red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar in place of the lemon juice
- Red bell pepper
- Jalapeño
- Avocado (try blending it into the soup for a creamy texture, instead of using it as a topping)
- Watermelon
- Tomatillos
In addition to adding ingredients into your gazpacho, you can have a lot of fun with the toppings. Here are some ideas for topping your gazpacho:
- Steamed shrimp (cooled)
- Croutons
- A drizzle of pesto
- A drizzle of olive oil
- A drizzle of chile oil
- A drizzle of balsamic glaze
- A spoonful of corn salsa
- Fresh chopped herbs
- Flakey sea salt
- A pinch of crumbled feta
Summer Gazpacho
Servings 4 1 cup eachIngredients
- 1 15oz. can crushed tomatoes ($0.69)
- 1 cup vegetable juice (like V8) ($0.35)
- 1/2 sweet onion (about 1 cup chopped) ($0.40)
- 1/2 cucumber (about 2 cups chopped) ($0.50)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley ($0.35)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro ($0.20)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 tsp lemon juice ($0.04)
- 1 avocado ($0.99)
Instructions
- Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable juice to a food processor or blender.
- Peel the cucumber, if desired. Cut the onion and cucumber into chunks. Wash the parsley and cilantro well. Mince the garlic. Add the cucumber, onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to the food processor or blender.
- Purée the ingredients, or leave them slightly chunky, if preferred. Taste the gazpacho and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon to your liking. Chill the soup for 30 minutes before serving. Give it one last taste after chilling, in case the flavors need to be adjusted.
- Dice the avocado just befor serving and add a few chunks on top of each bowl. Add extra pepper and olive oil to each bowl, if desired.
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How to Make Easy Summer Gazpacho – Step by Step Photos
Add one 15oz. can crushed tomatoes and 1 cup vegetable juice (like V8 juice) to a food processor or blender.
Cut ½ sweet onion (about 1 cup) and 1/2 cucumber (about 2 cups) into chunks. You can peel the cucumber or leave it unpeeled. Peeling the cucumber will allow your gazpacho to have a more vibrant red color. Wash the parsley and cilantro well. Mince the garlic. Add the onion, cucumber, ½ cup fresh parsley, ½ cup fresh cilantro, one garlic clove (minced), 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and 2 tsp lemon juice to the food processor or blender.
Purée the ingredients, or leave them slightly chunky, if you prefer. Taste the gazpacho and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon to your liking. Chill the soup for about 30 minutes before serving. It’s not a bad idea to give it one final taste after refrigeration, as the flavors will begin to melt and shift as the soup refrigerates.
Dice the avocado and add chunks to each bowl. I also like to drizzle just a bit more olive oil and sprinkle a little extra pepper over each bowl, but that’s optional. The avocado really takes it to the next level, though, so I wouldn’t skip that!
Enjoy that cool, refreshing tomato-cucumber flavor!
Hi, Beth! I’ve always wanted to make gazpacho and this recipe looks so easy and perfect. But I am deathly allergic to avocado. Can you recommend any replacements? I was thinking the bread might be a good call to make up for the lack of the avo’s creaminess. Thanks!
The good news is you don’t need the avocado. You can absolutely sub with the bread. Make sure it’s day old bread (like the kind you would use for croutons). If not, just chop it into cubes and dry it out in the oven at 250 degrees before blending it in. XOXO -Monti
This is so delicious! I have made it three times and love it.
Avocado aside, is this something that could be frozen after being prepared? I love the recipe but can’t go to the grocery store often and this requires lots of fresh produce.
Would be amazing if I could just slide some out from the freezer the night before I planned to enjoy.
I would think this one would freeze well. The vegetables are already puréed so you don’t have to worry about anything going limp after freezing and thawing. You might get some water separation, but that’s nothing that a good stir wouldn’t cure.
Made this recipe before my tomato plants began producing. wow! It was fantastic!
Later- made gazpacho after my luscious garden tomatoes were ready, and guess what, no reason to pretend.. I actually liked this canned tomato recipe better.
Hi Beth!
Was looking to make this, and a lot of your suggested ingredients to mix it up sounded great. Particularly inspired by potentially a watermelon and balsamic combination. However I don’t trust myself to add ingredients to recipes I haven’t made without knowing a rough idea of how much to use. Do you have any suggestions about how much of each suggested ingredient could and should be added to this specific recipe?
Unfortunately, I don’t, I’d need to test them before offering specific suggestions. BUT that being said, there are a ton of watermelon gazpacho recipes out there on the internet so what I would do is give it a quick Google, look at a few recipes that have already been tested, and get a feel for how much they use before experimenting on my own (or just follow one of the recipes exactly). I always end up learning a ton when I do that, too! :)
So just up front I’d like to say that I am not a fan of cucumber. I was hoping I might be able to sneak some in to my diet with this recipe. It didn’t work out well. I had a pretty rough start with this recipe because for me the cucumber flavor absolutely overpowered all of the other ingredients. After about half a serving my body started absolutely refusing to let me eat any more. I decided to try warming it up before I counted this recipe as a total loss and it was definitely better for me that way as it brought out more of the tomato flavor. I want to try making it again but will definitely leave out the cucumber entirely and use one of the other suggested veggies. As a warm soup though it was pretty tasty, I’ll probably try eating the remaining 3 servings warm with some cheese and corn chips 🙂
This looks so good! But I’m curious if this could be made without the cucumber or subbing something else in its place? I hate the taste of it and can always pick it out even in dishes where it’s a subtle ingredient. Could I use zucchini instead maybe?
I’m not sure I’d use zucchini, as I don’t think the flavor would be quite right, but you can find a list of other good vegetables (and fruit!) to use above the recipe under the heading, “What Else Can I Add?”
This was delicious! As great as it would be to have a never ending supply of fresh tomatoes, that’s just not the case for me. Nice to have a fresh tasting meal without worrying about produce going bad.
Just finished lunch consisting of the gazpacho recipe topped with diced avocado, Caesar salad croutons, and a drizzling of EVOO along with parmesan-garlic bread (Aldi) as an accompaniment. Bevs was choice of iced tea or lime sparkling water.
Soup was served in pasta bowls chilled in the freezer.
Used low-sodium V8 and also added a dash or two of Texas Pete.
I found the amount of parsley used in the recipe to be a bit overpowering so next time I’ll cut back to half.
A tasty light lunch on a hot, humid Southern day.
Good job, Beth!
I appreciate directions with canned tomatoes. I currently live somewhere where fresh tomatoes just aren’t great. This would’ve been perfect in the PNW heat wave last week!!
Just a note, the jalapeno isn’t listed in the ingredient list.
Made this the other night and it’s absolutely delicious and FILLING! I put an entire bunch of cilantro and very little parsley from my pot outside. I think the fresh veggies totally work with the canned tomatoes (which hardly ever have any flavor anyways unless you can find some good ones from a local garden) and the whole concoction tastes super fresh and delicious! Thank you!
I made this gazpacho this past weekend and it was delicious. You have an awesome blog and I’m so glad I found it. Can’t wait to try another recipe!
I made this recipe and featured it for Saturday Blog Showcase. It’s a wonderful recipe. Thanks!
Hi Beth, Nice site and nice idea to price the recipes. For me though, gazpacho needs fresh tomatoes. Just my preference. I also make it with melon, for a completely different taste.
Greetings from Gibraltar.
Brian