Cold Spanish Soup (Gazpacho) Recipe

This recipe for Cold Spanish Soup, better known as Gazpacho, is hands down my favorite soup. And, my guess is once you make it, it will be yours too. Not only is Gazpacho full of healthy tomato and vegetable goodness, it only takes ten minutes to prepare!

What is Gazpacho?

Gazpacho (pronounced gaz·pa·cho) is a Spanish cold tomato soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables. It is a cold, refreshing, and best of all, healthy and hearty soup and very low in calories. It’s also good for lunch or dinner, and one of my “go-to” dishes, not only in the summer but all year long.

Before the Gazpacho police chime in, this is not an authentic Spanish or Portuguese recipe, like Salmorejo, which typically includes toasted or stale bread. Instead, this is a quick and easy garden gazpacho that utilizes canned tomatoes and tomato juice along with fresh vegetables.

Why you will love this recipe:

1. Your food processor does all the heavy lifting, and all you have to do is mix everything and serve it.
2. It’s quick and easy, and you can have a nutritious meal on the table in ten minutes flat.
3. It’s a make-ahead wonder, and it gets better every day. 
4. But the best part is, this cold Spanish soup only has 82 calories a serving!

Here’s what you will need:

Here’s a list of the ingredients: bell peppers, a cucumber, a small onion, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, garlic, tomato juice, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and kosher salt and pepper.

A food processor or some type of chopper makes this recipe a breeze to prepare. 

Here’s how to make it:

First, roughly chop up two bell peppers and then finely chop them using a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Remove the chopped peppers after processing and put them in a large bowl. Repeat this process with the cucumber and onion.  

You don’t need to wash out the bowl of the food processor between vegetables.  Pulse about eight to ten times each or until the vegetables are in small pieces.

Add the diced tomatoes, diced tomatoes and green chilies, garlic, tomato juice, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil to the bowl with the chopped vegetables. Stir and add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Optional: If you like things spicy, add a few drops of hot sauce. 

You can eat the soup right away, or cover and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. 

Optional toppings:

You have lots of choices in the topping department: homemade or purchased croutons, chopped fresh basil, thyme, rosemary, or dill are great choices, as is sour cream. From time to time, I’ll even add a sprinkling of Cheez’Its or crushed tortilla chips. I also like to hold out a tablespoon or so of the chopped veggies and use that as a garnish. 

Feel free to add what you and your family like.  

Variations: 

Depending on what you have on hand, you might want to substitute ingredients or create a personalized version of this garden gazpacho.

Consider either adding or replacing all or some of the tomatoes with mango, watermelon, or strawberries. 

Add additional veggies. Corn and squash are excellent additions. 

And, finally, if you like heat, add a chopped up jalapeno. 

Storage and leftovers:

This cold Spanish soup only gets better with age. Leftovers are delicious and should be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. It can also be frozen for up to three months.   

Sharon’s tips:

I like my Gazpacho chunky; if you prefer a smoother soup, once you make it, place it in batches in your blender and puree until smooth. Or, you can use an immersion blender to do the same thing. 

You can substitute fresh tomatoes for the canned. If you do use fresh tomatoes, dice them very small and add one-half cup of tomato juice and one-half cup of water. 

For some crazy reason, my husband doesn’t care for chilled soups. So, I have been known to heat it and call it vegetable soup. Please don’t tell him it’s Gazpacho! 

This recipe, as written, is a little spicy because of the can of tomatoes and green chilis (Rotel). I use the original version. You can increase the spice factor by adding a few drops of hot sauce, or you can decrease it by using the mild version of Rotel. Or, you can leave it out altogether.  

This recipe calls for an English or hothouse cucumber that does not need to be seeded or peeled. If you are using a regular cucumber, be sure to peel and seed it first. To do this, first, peel it and slice it in half lengthwise, then take a small spoon and scoop out the seeds and discard them. 

More soup recipes:

If you like this recipe, I know you will love my easy Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho too. Other quick and easy soups you might enjoy include Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup, Ultimate Fresh Corn and Blue Crab Bisque, Quick and Easy Mexican Pork Stew, and Tomato Tortilla Soup.

If you need more menu ideas, check out all of my soup recipes here:

★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

**This post was the very first recipe on my blog, originally published on August 6, 2015. It was republished today, five years later on August 8, 2020, with new photos and expanded directions and tips.