Easy Gazpacho - Cold Spanish Soup | gritsandpinecones.com

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Gazpacho – Cold Spanish Soup is one of my favorite “go-to” dishes, not only in the summer but all year long. Gazpacho is full of healthy tomato and vegetable goodness, and this hearty, cold Spanish soup is also quick and easy to prepare. With a food processor or vegetable chopper, you can have it on the table in ten minutes or less.

This is an easy make-ahead gazpacho recipe featuring canned tomatoes, tomato juice, cucumbers, fresh bell peppers, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. This soup is a delicious and refreshing blast of tomatoey goodness.

Like my Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho, it makes a perfect, light, low-calorie lunch, a unique starter, or a delectable main course for dinner.

Two bowls of gazpacho topped with chopped cucumber.

Before the gazpacho police chime in, this is not an authentic or traditional Spanish or Portuguese recipe such as Salmorejo, which typically includes toasted or stale bread. Instead, this is a quick and easy garden gazpacho that utilizes convenience foods such as canned tomatoes and tomato juice along with lots of fresh veggies.

Why you will love this recipe:

Your food processor does all the heavy lifting; all you have to do is mix everything together and serve it.
It’s quick and easy, and you can have a nutritious meal on the table in ten minutes flat.
Gazpacho is a make-ahead, no-cook wonder, and it gets better every day.
But the best part is, this cold Spanish soup contains only 82 calories a serving!

Ingredients – Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients to make gazpacho including tomato juice, cucumber and canned tomatoes.

Green bell peppers – bring their fresh sweet taste and crunchy texture to the mix. You can substitute red, orange, or yellow bell peppers.
Cucumber – is an essential and traditional ingredient in gazpacho. I like to use English cucumbers with smaller seeds and thinner skin, but regular cucumbers may be substituted. If you use regular cucumbers, they will need to be peeled and seeded.
Sweet onion – adds a mild onion flavor to this cold soup. I like to use Vidalia when I can get them, but any sweet onion will work.
Canned diced tomatoes – authentic or traditional gazpacho recipes call for fresh tomatoes, which are wonderful when you can find good ones. I like this recipe which calls for canned tomatoes because they are always available and always have a consistent taste and texture.
Canned diced tomatoes and green chilies – add just a bit of heat and even more tomato flavor. The most common brand is Rotel. I like to use their original flavor, but you can use mild or hot if you prefer.
Garlic – adds garlicky goodness and a wonderful aroma to this soup.
Tomato juice – is another convenience food that is not an authentic ingredient but adds great tomato flavor. Some recipes call for V8 juice or even Bloody Mary Mix. I have never tried either, but if that’s all you have, go for it.
Red wine vinegar – made with fermented red wine, this full-bodied, tangy vinegar helps to enhance all of the other ingredients. Sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar can be substituted.
Lemon juice – adds a bright and fresh citrus note.
Olive oil – is a traditional ingredient in authentic recipes.
Kosher salt and ground place pepper – enhance all of the other ingredients and brings all of the other flavors together.

Directions – here’s how to make it:

Seed and roughly chop bell peppers and add them to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse eight to ten times or until they are coarsely chopped. Remove the chopped peppers, and put them in a large bowl.

Chopped cucumber in the bowl of a food processor.

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.

Chopped cucumber, bell peppers and onion in a bowl.

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 the kosher salt and ground black pepper.

Canned tomatoes and other chopped vegetables in a bowl.

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

While you can serve it immediately, it is best to serve it chilled.

Two glass dishes full of gazpacho with spoons.

Frequently asked questions:

What is gazpacho?

Gazpacho (pronounced gaz·pa·cho) is a cold Spanish soup made from tomatoes and other vegetables. It originated in Spain and is served all over Spain and Portugal. Authentic gazpacho is made with fresh tomatoes and is often blended until it is smooth and served in a glass with a straw. It is a cold, refreshing, and, best of all, healthy and hearty soup and very low in calories.

What toppings or garnishes can be added?

You have lots of choices in the topping department, and of course, they are optional: homemade or purchased croutons, bagel chips, 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.

To kick this gazpacho recipe up a notch, top with chilled roasted shrimp and avocado.

Are there any variations to this recipe?

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. Or you can also add additional vegetables you might have on hand, such as corn, squash, or zucchini.

If you find regular tomatoes too acidic, try swapping them out for yellow regular or cherry tomatoes, which are not as acidic. A bit of turmeric or cumin can also be added.

What’s the difference between gazpacho and salmorejo?

Salmorejo, which includes stale bread, fresh tomatoes, garlic, sherry vinegar, and olive oil, is thicker and creamier than gazpacho. Salmorejo also doesn’t generally include any other vegetables.

Storage and Leftovers?

This cold Spanish soup only gets better with age. Leftovers are delicious and can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days. In a pinch, it can also be frozen, but it will change the texture of the vegetables.

Sharon’s tips:

I like my gazpacho chunky, but authentic gazpacho is usually pureed until it’s smooth. 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 canned ones. If you do use fresh tomatoes, dice them very small and add an additional half cup of tomato juice and half a 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. 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.