Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vegetables & Herbs
- 500 g green tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 200 g cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- 100 g green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 15 g jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 20 g fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
Liquids & Seasonings
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml sherry vinegar
- 60 ml water, ice cold
- 5 g kosher salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Garnish
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 g cucumber, finely diced
- 5 g micro basil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 219 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 508 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 421 mg
- Calcium
- 44 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 61 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 66 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 57 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 62 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 23 mcg
- Water
- 220 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, roughly chop the green tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic.
Place the chopped vegetables, garlic, fresh basil, sherry vinegar, ice water, kosher salt, and black pepper into a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth.
With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil. Continue blending until the mixture is fully emulsified, creamy, and opaque.
Transfer the gazpacho to an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until chilled completely to around 4C/40F. This resting period is crucial for the raw flavors to soften and meld.
Stir the chilled soup well, as some separation is natural. Divide among chilled bowls and garnish with finely diced cucumber, a few micro basil leaves, and a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.
Chef's Notes
- Using a premium, grassy extra virgin olive oil is paramount. It acts as a liquid seasoning and provides the luxurious, velvety mouthfeel that defines an authentic gazpacho.
- Green tomatoes are unripe red tomatoes, prized for their firm texture and sharp acidity. If they are unavailable, you can substitute tomatillos, but you may need to slightly reduce the sherry vinegar to balance the tartness.
- Chilling the soup does more than just lower the temperature; it tames the harsh volatile sulfur compounds in the raw garlic and onions, resulting in a significantly smoother flavor profile.
- Taste and adjust seasoning only after the soup has chilled. Cold temperatures mute our perception of salt and acid, so what tastes perfect warm might taste flat when properly cooled.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors meld and improve on the second day.
Troubleshooting
Gazpacho is too thick or pasty
Cause: Tomatoes or cucumbers lacked sufficient natural water content
Fix: Blend in additional ice water, 15ml at a time, until desired consistency is reached
Prevention: Select heavy, juicy produce when shopping
Harsh, raw garlic flavor dominates the soup
Cause: Garlic clove was too large or contained a bitter green germ
Fix: Balance the bite by blending in a small pinch of sugar or an extra 15ml of olive oil
Prevention: Always slice garlic in half and remove the green core before using raw
Soup separates quickly in the bowl
Cause: Olive oil was not properly emulsified into the liquid
Fix: Return to blender and process on medium speed until re-emulsified
Prevention: Stream oil slowly while the blender is running
Cultural Context
While the world-famous red gazpacho hails from the sun-drenched region of Andalusia, green gazpacho variations celebrate late-summer garden harvests and resourcefulness. This modern green interpretation utilizes the bright, tart profile of unripe green tomatoes paired with sweet basil, offering an incredibly refreshing palate cleanser during sweltering Spanish afternoons.
