Classic Spanish Gazpacho

Name: Classic Spanish Gazpacho
Prep time: 33 min
Total time: 33 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) ripe tomatoes (such as vine-ripened or Roma), cored and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks; 1 medium (about 10 oz) (280 g) English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks; 1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; 1 large clove (5 g) garlic, peeled, green germ removed if present, roughly chopped; 1 thick slice (about 1 oz) (30 g) day-old crusty white bread, crust removed and torn into small pieces; 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water, for soaking the bread; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp (30 ml) sherry vinegar; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste at the end, about ½ tsp (3 g) in total; ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water, only if needed to thin (optional); ¼ cup (35 g) English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (¼-inch/6 mm) (optional); ¼ cup (35 g) green bell pepper, finely diced (¼-inch/6 mm) (optional); 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling over the bowls (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky, chilled Andalusian tomato soup blended with cucumber, sweet pepper, garlic, good olive oil and a splash of sherry vinegar. Bright, refreshing and best made with peak-season tomatoes.

Prep: 33 min
Cook: —
Wait: 4 hr 20 min
Total: 4 hr 53 min
Makes: About 7 cups (1.7 liters), serves 6 as a starter

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

3 lb (1360 g) ripe tomatoes (such as vine-ripened or Roma), cored and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1 medium (about 10 oz) (280 g) English cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 large clove (5 g) garlic, peeled, green germ removed if present, roughly chopped
1 thick slice (about 1 oz) (30 g) day-old crusty white bread, crust removed and torn into small pieces
3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water, for soaking the bread
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) sherry vinegar
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste at the end, about ½ tsp (3 g) in total
¼ cup (60 ml) cold water, only if needed to thin (optional)
For serving
¼ cup (35 g) English cucumber, peeled and finely diced (¼-inch/6 mm) (optional)
¼ cup (35 g) green bell pepper, finely diced (¼-inch/6 mm) (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling over the bowls (optional)

Equipment (8)

Blender (high-speed or standard, 6-cup/1.5 L capacity or larger)
Large bowl (4 qt/4 L)
Second large bowl (4 qt/4 L) for the blended soup
Small bowl for soaking the bread
Fine-mesh sieve
Ladle or rubber spatula
Chef's knife and cutting board
Airtight container or pitcher (2 qt/2 L)

Steps

Before you start

Use the ripest, most fragrant tomatoes you can find; they are the whole soup. Out-of-season tomatoes will taste flat.
Plan about 5 hours from start to serving: roughly 35 minutes of work, 20 minutes of soaking and marinating, then at least 4 hours (240 minutes) of chilling. Overnight is even better.
Put your serving bowls or glasses in the fridge before the soup finishes chilling.
A high-speed or regular blender works; a regular one just needs a little longer blending time.

1
Soak the bread
- Tear the crustless bread into small pieces and put them in a small bowl with the 3 tbsp (45 ml) cold water.
- Let sit 5 minutes, then squeeze gently over the bowl and discard the extra water so the bread is damp but not dripping.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Bread is soft and mushy throughout.
2
Prep the vegetables
- Core the tomatoes and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks in a large bowl so you catch the juices.
- Peel and chunk the cucumber, seed and chunk the green pepper, and roughly chop the garlic.
- Finely dice a separate ¼ cup (35 g) each of peeled cucumber and green pepper for garnish, and refrigerate them in a covered container.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Vegetables are in even 1-inch pieces so they blend smoothly.
Tip: Peeling the cucumber prevents a bitter, grassy edge.
3
Marinate briefly
- In the large bowl, toss the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic and squeezed bread with 1 tsp salt.
- Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature so the salt draws out juices.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: A pool of red juice has collected at the bottom of the bowl.
4
Blend until smooth
- Working in 2 batches, blend the vegetables and their juices on high for 1 to 2 minutes per batch, until completely smooth with no visible flecks of skin.
- Pour into a clean bowl.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture is uniformly pink-red and pourable, with no chunks.
Tip: Fill the blender no more than two-thirds full and hold the lid down with a towel.
5
Emulsify the oil
- Return half the puree to the blender.
- With the motor running on medium, slowly stream in the ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil through the lid opening over about 30 seconds.
- Blend 10 more seconds, then stir back into the rest of the puree.
- The soup will turn a lighter, creamy orange-pink.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup looks creamy and slightly paler, with no oil slick on top.
Tip: Adding the oil slowly is what gives gazpacho its velvety texture.
6
Strain the soup
- Pour the soup through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl, pressing with a ladle or spatula to extract all the liquid.
- Discard the leftover skins and seeds (about ½ cup).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup is silky and the sieve holds only dry pulp.
Tip: Skip straining for a more rustic soup, but expect a slightly grainier texture.
7
Season
- Stir in the sherry vinegar.
- Taste, then add more salt ¼ teaspoon at a time (you will likely need about ½ tsp total), stirring and tasting after each, until the tomato flavor tastes bright and the soup is clearly seasoned.
- If it is thicker than heavy cream, stir in up to ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup tastes tangy and balanced; slightly bold seasoning is right since chilling dulls flavor.
Tip: Cold food needs more acid and salt than warm food, but add salt gradually; you can't take it out.
8
Chill thoroughly
- Transfer to a covered container or pitcher and refrigerate at least 4 hours (240 minutes), or overnight.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup is fully cold, below 40°F (4°C), and flavors taste rounded.
9
Serve
- Stir or whisk the soup (it separates slightly), then taste again and adjust salt or vinegar.
- Ladle into chilled bowls, top with the diced cucumber and pepper, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Soup is ice cold and evenly mixed.

Good to know

Tips

Taste a tomato first: if it is bland or very acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance.
Keep the garlic to one clove; raw garlic intensifies as the soup sits.
For an even smoother soup, peel the tomatoes by scoring an X and blanching 30 seconds before chopping.
Serve in small glasses as a party sip, or with a hard-cooked egg and diced ham for a heartier starter.

Make ahead

Gazpacho tastes best made 1 day ahead. Prepare through step 8 (chilling), keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then stir and garnish just before serving.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; stir or whisk before serving as it separates. Do not leave at room temperature beyond 2 hours. Freezing is not recommended because the emulsified soup turns watery and grainy. Serve cold; do not reheat.

Substitutions

day-old crusty white bread → 1 slice gluten-free bread (about 30 g) prepared the same way, or 20 g blanched almonds added to the blender. For gluten-free; both thicken the soup. Do not replace the bread with extra oil, which would make it oily rather than thick.
sherry vinegar → red wine vinegar. Slightly sharper; start with 1½ tbsp and adjust.
green bell pepper → Italian frying pepper or red bell pepper. Red is sweeter; frying pepper is closer to the traditional flavor.
ripe tomatoes (such as vine-ripened or Roma) → 1 can (28 oz/800 g) whole peeled tomatoes plus 1 lb (450 g) fresh. Drain off about half the canned liquid (roughly ½ cup/120 ml), skip the optional water, and start with ½ tsp salt in the marinade since canned tomatoes are already salted. Helpful when fresh tomatoes are not at peak.