Ready in just 15 minutes, this gazpacho recipe is cool, refreshing, and involves no cooking! Just toss everything into a blender, and boom…you have summer in a bowl.
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Gazpacho is basically Spain’s love letter to summer. It’s a cold, blended vegetable soup that is traditionally made with ripe tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. It’s the kind of dish that tastes fancy but takes minimal effort, which is why I make it all season long.
While there’s some controversy over whether traditional gazpacho includes bread, when I visited Spain, I had a breadless gazpacho that was life changing. This recipe mimics that amazing experience!
I also love making a batch ahead of time for easy lunches, casual dinners, or serving it in little glasses when hosting friends and family along with other summery appetizers like Clams Casino, a Kale Salad, and Spanakopita!
Gazpacho Recipe Video
Gazpacho Ingredients
- Ripe tomatoes – Heirlooms are my go-to because they’re extra juicy and sweet, but regular ripe tomatoes or Campari tomatoes totally work!
- Cubanelle pepper – These peppers are mild, sweet, and thin-skinned. Can’t find one? Sub in an Italian frying pepper (like Anaheim) or even a red bell pepper.
- English cucumber – English cucumbers have extra thin skin and are nice and sweet…a a gazpacho must!
- Red onion – Red onions add a little tang and gorgeous color.
- Garlic – Garlic makes everything better!
- Extra virgin olive oil – Oil is important here…use the good stuff! Spanish olive oil is traditional and packs major flavor.
- Sherry vinegar – This vinegar is classic, punchy, and what gives gazpacho its signature zing.
- Cayenne (optional) – A dash of cayenne adds a sneaky little kick.
- Toppings (optional but fun) – Think chopped veggies, Homemade Croutons, Hard-Boiled Eggs, prosciutto or serrano ham, and a drizzle of EVOO for a little extra “something”!
How to Make Gazpacho
- Blend veggies. Toss tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, red onion, and garlic into a blender or food processor. Blend it for about 30 seconds until mostly smooth!
- Season and blend again. Add salt, cayenne, sherry vinegar, and olive oil. Blend again until the mixture is smooth. If it’s too watery, add another 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil and give it another quick blend.
- Chill and serve. Place the gazpacho in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve chilled with your favorite toppings!
My Pro Tip
Pro Tips for Easy Gazpacho
Ripe heirlooms are your best option. Heirloom tomatoes bring the best flavor, but ripe regular or Campari tomatoes are great backups if heirlooms aren’t in season.
Skip the peeling. No need to peel your tomatoes, your blender’s got it covered, and you avoid the mess.
Olive oil matters. This is a key ingredient and the one you use will impact the flavor. Use one you love (like Spanish olive oil!), because it’ll come through in every spoonful.
Pepper swaps are OK. Can’t find a Cubanelle? Try an Anaheim (a tiny bit spicier) or a red bell pepper. Any mild frying pepper will do the trick.
Make it ahead. Gazpacho actually gets better as it sits! Make it a day in advance and let those flavors come together in the fridge.
How to Serve This Gazpacho Recipe
Gazpacho is endlessly customizable. Serve it as a light lunch or appetizer in bowls loaded with toppings or alongside breads like Homemade Baguette or Parker House Rolls.
Want to make it even more extra? Sprinkle on smoked paprika, chili flakes, or fresh herbs, or top with crème fraîche, microgreens, avocado, or even marcona almonds.
Gazpacho is also perfect with a side of Spanish cheeses or a bowl of Marinated Olives. Are you hosting? Pair it with small bites like Salmon Croquettes, pour it into shot glasses for fun gazpacho shooters, and serve it all with a chilled glass of Albariño wine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Serving gazpacho cold highlights its bright, refreshing flavors and makes it the perfect dish for summer. Plus, chilling for at least an hour gives the ingredients time to deepen in flavor!
Using underripe or flavorless tomatoes (yikes), skimping on salt or vinegar, and over-blending until the texture is too thin are all common missteps. Also, don’t forget to chill! Warm gazpacho is…not refreshing.
Technically, yes. Traditionally, no. And I do not recommend this. Gazpacho is made to be served cold. If you heat it, it turns into more like a tomato soup and loses that crisp, refreshing bite.
Yes! It gets even better with a little time in the fridge (up to 3-4 days in advance).
You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Just keep in mind that the texture may change a bit when you thaw it. I suggest giving it a good stir or a quick spin in the blender with some fresh olive oil to bring it back to life!
More Tomato Recipes You’ll Love!
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Easy Gazpacho Recipe
Equipment
- Large blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, see notes below for best options
- 1 Cubanelle pepper, seeded and cut in rough chunks
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut in rough chunks
- 1 small red onion, cut in chunks
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ½ teaspoons sherry wine vinegar
- Dash of cayenne, optional
- Salt, to taste
- Toppings of choice, see blog post above for suggestions
Instructions
- If you’re using tomatoes with a tough core like heirloom tomatoes, cut the core out. In a large blender or food processor, add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic. Blend for 30 seconds until almost smooth.
- Add salt, cayenne (optional), sherry wine vinegar and olive oil. Blend for another minute or until completely smooth. Gazpacho should be creamy from the olive oil. Add 2-3 tablespoons more olive oil if gazpacho is too watery, blending again.
- Chill for at least 1 hour before serving for best results!
Video
Notes
- The best tomatoes to use are ripe heirloom tomatoes. If you can’t find heirlooms, you can use ripe regular tomatoes or Campari tomatoes, which are usually riper than your standard grocery store tomato. No need to peel them.
- The flavor of your olive oil will significantly impact the flavor of your gazpacho (fruity vs. bold vs. mild olive oils will yield different results!).
- Cubanelle peppers are usually easy to find, but if you can’t find one, use any other kind of mild Italian frying pepper like an Anaheim (which are occasionally a bit spicy). You could also use a small red bell pepper.
- While there’s some controversy over whether traditional gazpacho includes bread, when I visited Spain, I had a breadless gazpacho that was life-changing. This recipe mimics that amazing experience!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best gazpacho!!
Thank you!!
Grace