Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1000 g ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 150 g cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- 100 g green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 garlic, peeled
Seasonings and Liquids
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 30 ml sherry vinegar
- 10 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 192 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 985 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 700 mg
- Calcium
- 37 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 36 mg
- Phosphorus
- 77 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 6 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 56 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 5 mcg
- Water
- 67 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, and garlic on a cutting board using a chef's knife.
Transfer the chopped vegetables, sherry vinegar, and fine sea salt into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely liquefied and smooth.
With the blender running on a medium-low speed, slowly stream in the extra virgin olive oil to emulsify the soup, turning it creamy and slightly lighter in color.
For a silkier texture, pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or pitcher, using a ladle or spatula to press the liquid through while discarding the fibrous solids. This step is optional but recommended.
Cover the bowl or pitcher and transfer to the refrigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to marry and to ensure the soup is served ice cold.
Pour the chilled soup into individual bowls. Garnish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of gazpacho depends entirely on the quality of your produce. Use the ripest, most fragrant tomatoes you can find.
- Traditional Andalusian gazpacho includes stale white bread soaked in water, which acts as a thickener and emulsifier. This recipe omits it for a lighter, gluten-free profile, but you can blend in 50g of crustless day-old bread if you prefer a thicker, classic texture.
- Temperature dulls flavor. Since this soup is served very cold, you may need to season it more aggressively with salt and vinegar than you would a hot soup.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container or glass pitcher. The flavors will continue to meld and deepen over the first 24 hours.
Troubleshooting
The soup tastes bland or flat
Cause: Under-seasoning or under-ripe tomatoes
Fix: Add more salt, a splash more vinegar, or a tiny pinch of sugar to elevate the natural tomato flavor
Prevention: Taste your tomatoes before starting; if they lack flavor, be prepared to adjust seasoning
The gazpacho has separated into a clear liquid and a foamy top layer
Cause: The olive oil was not properly emulsified or the soup sat undisturbed for too long
Fix: Simply whisk vigorously or give it a quick pulse in the blender right before serving to re-emulsify
Prevention: Stream the olive oil in slowly while the blender is running rather than adding it all at once
Cultural Context
Gazpacho originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. Originally a humble peasant dish made of pounded garlic, bread, olive oil, and water, tomatoes and peppers were added only after the Columbian exchange brought New World ingredients to Europe, creating the vibrant red soup celebrated today.
