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Everything I’ve learned living in Spain about how to make the best authentic, delicious, fresh tomato gazpacho recipe — in just 15 minutes!
Fresh tomato season has finally returned again, which means that it’s time to start making allllll the gazpacho. ♡
I’ve been a fan of this refreshing, chilled, Spanish tomato soup for years. But ever since we moved to Barcelona, we have become next-level obsessed with it in the summertime, especially after having had the chance to spend time in Andalucía, the region where gazpacho originated. Down in that part of the country, gazpacho is available just about everywhere you turn — from restaurants, to bars, to coffee shops, to every little supermercado that you pass by. Even here in Barcelona, our nearest grocery store offers no less than seven different types of grab-and-go bottled gazpacho! It’s everyone’s favorite light and refreshing meal here to beat the summertime heat. And when made with the season’s best ripe produce — oh boy — there’s nothing better.
That said, if you have the chance to visit Spain, you will find that gazpacho here varies slightly from region to region. And of course, there are a million non-traditional ingredients and twists that modern cooks love to try too. But that said, Andaluz-style tomato gazpacho is probably the version that comes to mind when most people think of this blended soup. So if you happen to be craving a bowl (or a glass with a straw, see below!), here is my go-to gazpacho recipe that I absolutely love. It’s quick and easy to make in just 15 minutes or so, and I consider it lo mejor — just the best!
The BEST Gazpacho Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Spanish Gazpacho Ingredients
Gazpacho is the quintessential summer soup because all of the fresh ingredients are deliciously in season this time of year, and there’s no need to heat up your stove or oven! Just prep your ingredients on a cutting board. Then your blender or food processor will take it from there. To make this homemade gazpacho recipe, you will need:
Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes or what we call “branch tomatoes” here in Spain (medium, round, soft-skinned tomatoes on the vine) are standard for traditional gazpacho. But really, any ripe, juicy, fresh tomatoes will do. There is no need to peel your tomatoes for gazpacho, but I do recommend coring them (scoop out the white flesh and seeds).
Cucumber: 6-inch Persian or Kirby cucumbers are most often used in Spain, peeled and seeded. But I usually just toss in half of an English cucumber instead. Whichever works for you!
Green bell pepper: Some of my Spanish friends are firm believers that green bell peppers, specifically, are a must for authentic Spanish gazpacho. But I’d say that any color of bell pepper you have on hand will do. :)
Bread: Leftover white bread is the key to the texture of authentic gazpacho, helping to thicken it slightly and round out the flavors. Our friends here taught us to discard the crusts for optimal texture. Then to help the bread blend well, you can either:
blend up the gazpacho, then poke the slice of bread into the center of the soup and let it sit there for 10 minutes to soften before blending it into the soup, or…
just run it under the faucet and soak completely with water, ring it out completely with your hands, then add the bread to the soup ingredients and puree
Red onion: Just half of a small red onion, peeled.
Garlic: I use two small garlic cloves, or one large clove.
Olive oil: Many traditional gazpacho recipes are loaded with lots of olive oil. But nowadays in Spain, they often cut down the amount of oil to make the soup a bit healthier. This recipe just uses 3 tablespoons.
Sherry vinegar: Andalucía is known for its sherry. And of course, it’s sherry vinegar (vinagre de Jerez), which is always used to make gazpacho here in Spain. That said, though, if you can’t find sherry vinegar at your grocery store, you can sub in some red wine vinegar.
Ground cumin: One of our friends in Andalucía taught me the secret of adding cumin to your gazpacho, which is actually a popular ingredient in the south of Spain due to the region’s proximity to Morocco. I love the subtle, earthy note that it adds to this recipe.
Sea salt and black pepper: Essentials!
How To Make Gazpacho
To make homemade gazpacho soup, simply:
Puree the soup: Combine all of your gazpacho ingredients in a blender or food processor, and puree for 1 minute or until the gazpacho reaches your desired consistency. (I love mine super-smooth.)
Chill: Transfer the soup to a sealed container and refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
Serve: Then serve the soup nice and cold, garnished with your favorite toppings.
Gazpacho Soup Toppings
With such a simple pureed soup, toppings are a must in my book! I like to add any combination of the following to gazpacho:
Homemade croutons: Easy to make with any leftover bread that you happen to have on hand.
Fresh herbs: Basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary and/or chives are some of our faves.
Fresh-cracked black pepper: Always a must, in my book.
Olive oil: An extra drizzle on top is traditional in Spain.
Cream: A drizzle of cream (or sour cream) can be nice, if you would like a creamier soup.
Spanish ham and chopped hard-boiled eggs: These toppings are traditional with salmorejo, but they are also popular with gazpacho in the south of Spain.
Or, of course, it’s probably most common to just sprinkle a few of the leftover chopped gazpacho veggies on top (such as tomato, green pepper, onion or cucumber). Whatever sounds good to you!
How To Serve Gazpacho
You can either serve gazpacho soup in a bowl or mug, garnished with your desired toppings. Or to keep things super simple, many places in Spain just serve gazpacho over ice in glasses with a straw, which I really love! (See photos below.)
The one thing to note when serving gazpacho is that it needs to be thoroughly chilled. So plan to blend up the recipe a few hours before serving, so that it has ample time to cool off in the fridge before your meal.
Late-night gazpacho with a straw while visiting Sevilla.
Gazpacho Variations
While the recipe below is for authentic tomato gazpacho, there are of course zillions of ways that you could customize your gazpacho. You could:
Add fruit: Watermelon, cantaloupe, and strawberries are the common additions to red gazpacho here in Spain. (Here is my recipe for watermelon gazpacho.)
Add veggies: Beets, zucchini and corn are also popular additions.
Add extra herbs: Feel free to also add in any fresh herbs that sound good, such as basil, rosemary, thyme, or chives.
Add spice: This is definitely not a common addition to gazpacho in Spain, since the country almost always avoids heat in its food. But I sometimes love adding in a few slices of jalapeño or serrano to this recipe to give it an extra kick.
Tomatoes: To core the tomatoes, simply scoop out and discard the seeds, plus any of the tough white cores.
Cucumber: Or you can just add in half of an English cucumber, which does not need to be seeded.
Bread: We typically just use a baguette. To soak your bread, I recommend simply running it under the sink for few seconds to soak it with water. Then ring our the extra water and add the bread to the blender or food processor.
Storage instructions: Leftover soup can be transferred to a food storage container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
This is great. I used a little more cumin because I love it. I also like my gazpacho a little more “chunky “ so did not puree it until completely smooth. Also subbed red bell pepper for the green, as green pepper seems not to like me (burp) 🙄
Used canned tomatoes as tomatoes are really not in season. Added my own homemade bread, red pepper, large garlic clove, lots more cumin and chile pepper. Will garnish with scallions or chives from the garden, parsley and basil with chunks of english cuke and green or red pepper. Some might like to run this through a sieve for a smoother soup.
Absolutely delicious! I have been making gazpacho for many years and this was the by far the best. I did not use a green pepper. Instead I used some red and orange peppers. I also added a jalapeño for a little kick. I also added 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Sherry vinegar is a must. For the first time I used the soaked bread. I have always shied away from using the bread but the difference it made was Iremarkable. It has an added smoothness. I did add a bit of cumin. There was just a hint of the flavor that definitely uplifted the soup.
I did not make the croutons as I like to make a “relish” to go on top. Today it was 1/2 lb garlic sautéed shrimp that I cut into small pieces, 1 ear of grilled corn, 1 jalapeños, couple tbsp of minced red onion, cilantro, some lime juice, olive oil, tad of cumin,cayenne and salt and pepper.
With our bumper crop of tomatoes, Gazpacho was the top recipe on my list to use these fresh home-grown gems! Having toured all around Spain (loved Barcelona!) and tasting gazpacho all around the country (for 3 weeks!), I was craving an authentic soup recipe and found it here in this site. Having made it 2-days ago, I am thrilled with this recipe, it is sooo good!! The Spanish Sherry Vinegar made it taste truly authentic! I did slightly cheat with tomato-base, I used (jarred) Italian Passata sauce (only tomatoes and sea salt) along with my fresh tomatoes. I also used half-an-avocado versus bread, a healthy fat. This soup recipe is a very easy way to get more FRESH vegetables in a diet and a healthy alternative to a salad. MANY THANKS for this authentic recipe. I will continue to follow; you are an awesome cook and chef!!
This is delicious! Made a few adjustments: 2lbs of campari tomatoes from Costco; 1 red bell pepper; 1/2 of an English cucumber, un-peeled; crusts-removed hunk of stale baguette; pineapple vinegar because I didn’t have sherry vinegar. (Which is hard to find here, but I just scored a bottle, for “next time.”) Made about 1.75 quarts. And I LOVE it! Shared it with my peeps on Facebook, and will definitely make it again.
I am born and raised in Marbella and a chef for 16 yrs , I assure you Roma tomatos are not what we use for gazpacho. Not enough pulp.
Also a great modern topping alternative aside from the traditional veggie toppers is avocado and a dash of cayenne pepper and drizzle of olive oil.
My first experience of eating Gazpacho was on a Caribbean cruise. Embarrassed myself by calling the waiter over and advised him that the soup was cold. Dummy me. They had a different gazpacho everyday and I enjoyed every different one. My favourite was a lobster bisque. Just amazing. Just as amazing is how easy it is to make.
This recipe is WONDERFUL. I haven’t had gazpacho in years, and the taste is so fresh and balanced. A phenomenal way to get a bunch of veggies in, will be making it all summer.
Absolutely delicious! Because of my personal taste, I added a small Thai pepper, a dash of extra salt and doubled the garlic and olive oil. I also had tasted a hint of orange in a gazpacho I ate at a Spanish restaurant and I had dried and ground orange rinds, so I added a teaspoon of that. Paired it with your suggestion of a medium boiled egg and a slice of sourdough bread, along with a glass of Pinot Grigio. The perfect summer dinner!
OUTSTANDING Gazpacho and very easy to prepare. Didnt have red wine Sherry so used red wine vinegar as suggested and added 1 T Sherry wine, and used slice of sourdough bread (all I had). REALLY enjoyed and will happily make again.
I can’t imagine substituting red wine vinegar for sherry vinegar. I was able to find El Majuelo brand (which is what I bought in Barcelona) and Saputo’s Market & Deli, online. It’s less expensive here than it was in Barcelona. I would love to make this gazpacho, but I would have to find a textural substitute for the bread, because we don’t keep bread in the house. I’m wondering if a little almond flour would work?
I made this today and because my garden tomatoes weren’t ready yet, I used Roma tomatoes I had frozen last summer instead. It was delicious and will make it again when the tomatoes are fresh from the garden. I sprinkled fresh basil on it to serve and will try it next with garlic croutons. I used English cucumber and didn’t peel it,
Nice recipe. Mine is similar. I like spice, so I add a tiny bit of chili powder & a jalapeño but I don’t use bread. Local taste is also for some cilantro, which plays well with the cumin. Instead of red wine vinegar, I use white balsamic. “Let a hundred flowers bloom.”
Good recipe! I stayed pretty close to what is written but I did have a leftover beefsteak tomato that I seeded and threw in along with using lime juice instead of the vinegar. Tastes good and will get better as it chills.
My first time tasting Gazpacho soup . This recipie tantalized my taste buds!! I’ve saved it and shared it with family and friends . Thanks for sharing your recipe!!! 😊
My husband loved this, his first time liking gazpacho! I didn’t peel or seed anything, and served it coarsely pureed. Fiber is good for us! Powdered cumin and dried basil are good additions, as is balsamic vinegar for the sherry vinegar. I didn’t use salt (as I must restrict it)!but instead served shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan for garnish. This recipe will be my go-to for summertime abundance from the garden!
Very good. The addition of cumin and fruit makes your version really special: it is now a classic for us at home!
This is great. I used a little more cumin because I love it. I also like my gazpacho a little more “chunky “ so did not puree it until completely smooth. Also subbed red bell pepper for the green, as green pepper seems not to like me (burp) 🙄
This is delicious! Thank you
Used canned tomatoes as tomatoes are really not in season. Added my own homemade bread, red pepper, large garlic clove, lots more cumin and chile pepper. Will garnish with scallions or chives from the garden, parsley and basil with chunks of english cuke and green or red pepper. Some might like to run this through a sieve for a smoother soup.
Absolutely delicious! I have been making gazpacho for many years and this was the by far the best. I did not use a green pepper. Instead I used some red and orange peppers. I also added a jalapeño for a little kick. I also added 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Sherry vinegar is a must. For the first time I used the soaked bread. I have always shied away from using the bread but the difference it made was Iremarkable. It has an added smoothness. I did add a bit of cumin. There was just a hint of the flavor that definitely uplifted the soup.
I did not make the croutons as I like to make a “relish” to go on top. Today it was 1/2 lb garlic sautéed shrimp that I cut into small pieces, 1 ear of grilled corn, 1 jalapeños, couple tbsp of minced red onion, cilantro, some lime juice, olive oil, tad of cumin,cayenne and salt and pepper.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! I prepare it every summer.
How many cups does this make? What is your serving size?
Thank you.
Great recipe! I did deviate a bit and added roasted sesame oil with the olive oil. Came out great but probably not so authentic now.
With our bumper crop of tomatoes, Gazpacho was the top recipe on my list to use these fresh home-grown gems! Having toured all around Spain (loved Barcelona!) and tasting gazpacho all around the country (for 3 weeks!), I was craving an authentic soup recipe and found it here in this site. Having made it 2-days ago, I am thrilled with this recipe, it is sooo good!! The Spanish Sherry Vinegar made it taste truly authentic! I did slightly cheat with tomato-base, I used (jarred) Italian Passata sauce (only tomatoes and sea salt) along with my fresh tomatoes. I also used half-an-avocado versus bread, a healthy fat. This soup recipe is a very easy way to get more FRESH vegetables in a diet and a healthy alternative to a salad. MANY THANKS for this authentic recipe. I will continue to follow; you are an awesome cook and chef!!
This is delicious! Made a few adjustments: 2lbs of campari tomatoes from Costco; 1 red bell pepper; 1/2 of an English cucumber, un-peeled; crusts-removed hunk of stale baguette; pineapple vinegar because I didn’t have sherry vinegar. (Which is hard to find here, but I just scored a bottle, for “next time.”) Made about 1.75 quarts. And I LOVE it! Shared it with my peeps on Facebook, and will definitely make it again.
Do I weigh the tomatoes before or after coring?
I am born and raised in Marbella and a chef for 16 yrs , I assure you Roma tomatos are not what we use for gazpacho. Not enough pulp.
Also a great modern topping alternative aside from the traditional veggie toppers is avocado and a dash of cayenne pepper and drizzle of olive oil.
This recipe is equal to the gazpacho I have enjoyed in the finest Spanish restaurants both in the U.S. and Spain. I make it every week!
Brilliant….so easy ….so refreshing!
My first experience of eating Gazpacho was on a Caribbean cruise. Embarrassed myself by calling the waiter over and advised him that the soup was cold. Dummy me. They had a different gazpacho everyday and I enjoyed every different one. My favourite was a lobster bisque. Just amazing. Just as amazing is how easy it is to make.
This recipe is WONDERFUL. I haven’t had gazpacho in years, and the taste is so fresh and balanced. A phenomenal way to get a bunch of veggies in, will be making it all summer.
Absolutely delicious! Because of my personal taste, I added a small Thai pepper, a dash of extra salt and doubled the garlic and olive oil. I also had tasted a hint of orange in a gazpacho I ate at a Spanish restaurant and I had dried and ground orange rinds, so I added a teaspoon of that. Paired it with your suggestion of a medium boiled egg and a slice of sourdough bread, along with a glass of Pinot Grigio. The perfect summer dinner!
Nice recipe but “authentic gazpacho” doesn’t have bread in it–this is more a recipe for salmorejo.
No water mentioned anywhere. Do you put, or don’t put, water in the blender. And how much if you do? A glass, a pint?
OUTSTANDING Gazpacho and very easy to prepare. Didnt have red wine Sherry so used red wine vinegar as suggested and added 1 T Sherry wine, and used slice of sourdough bread (all I had). REALLY enjoyed and will happily make again.
I can’t imagine substituting red wine vinegar for sherry vinegar. I was able to find El Majuelo brand (which is what I bought in Barcelona) and Saputo’s Market & Deli, online. It’s less expensive here than it was in Barcelona. I would love to make this gazpacho, but I would have to find a textural substitute for the bread, because we don’t keep bread in the house. I’m wondering if a little almond flour would work?
Love it!!!
I made this today and because my garden tomatoes weren’t ready yet, I used Roma tomatoes I had frozen last summer instead. It was delicious and will make it again when the tomatoes are fresh from the garden. I sprinkled fresh basil on it to serve and will try it next with garlic croutons. I used English cucumber and didn’t peel it,
Nice recipe. Mine is similar. I like spice, so I add a tiny bit of chili powder & a jalapeño but I don’t use bread. Local taste is also for some cilantro, which plays well with the cumin. Instead of red wine vinegar, I use white balsamic. “Let a hundred flowers bloom.”
Good recipe! I stayed pretty close to what is written but I did have a leftover beefsteak tomato that I seeded and threw in along with using lime juice instead of the vinegar. Tastes good and will get better as it chills.
My first time tasting Gazpacho soup . This recipie tantalized my taste buds!! I’ve saved it and shared it with family and friends . Thanks for sharing your recipe!!! 😊
My husband loved this, his first time liking gazpacho! I didn’t peel or seed anything, and served it coarsely pureed. Fiber is good for us! Powdered cumin and dried basil are good additions, as is balsamic vinegar for the sherry vinegar. I didn’t use salt (as I must restrict it)!but instead served shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan for garnish. This recipe will be my go-to for summertime abundance from the garden!
This was so simple and so flavorful ♥️ it truly reminded me of our time in Spain♥️!!