on Aug 19, 2023, Updated Aug 29, 2023 I love how gazpacho looks (and sounds) so special – especially when garnished with olive oil, flaky salt, croutons, and fresh herbs 🌿 – but is actually so simple and quick to prepare. This is the perfect dish for entertaining, packing for lunch, or when it is just too hot to cook.
Why You’ll Love Gazpacho
If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it is essentially a summer tomato salad in soup form, served chilled or at room temperature. Gazpacho originated in beautiful Spain 🇪🇸 and Portugal 🇵🇹, where it is often made with a bit of stale bread to thicken the soup and sherry vinegar for tartness. Gazpacho began as a humble shepherd’s food, requiring few ingredients and only using tomatoes for freshness. In modern recipes, it’s common to see more vegetables added, such as onion, cucumber, herbs, and more. Salmorejo is another similar dish from Southern Spain, which is a bit thicker since it relies heavily on stale bread 🥖 and tomatoes 🍅, usually with no other fresh vegetables.
How To Prepare Gazpacho
🍅 Start by adding tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion, garlic, and jalapeño (if desired) to a blender. Drizzle in some olive oil, add vinegar, and season with salt. Blend everything on medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes until you achieve a smooth consistency. If the gazpacho appears too thick, you can thin it out by adding 1/2 cup of cold filtered water. 🥖 For an optional twist, place a piece of bread into the blended mixture and let it soak for a minute before mixing again. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. To achieve a smoother texture, pour the mixture through a sieve. ❄️ Once done, refrigerate the gazpacho to chill it entirely. When serving, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top, garnish with fresh basil, and accompany it with croutons or a slice of fresh sourdough bread.
Variations and Substitutions for Gazpacho
A few of the optional ingredients in my version include jalapeño, which you may want to omit if you don’t like spice or replace with sweet peppers. You may use a stale piece of bread, which adds optional thickness to the soup or sherry vinegar, which is traditional but can be substituted with red wine vinegar. Ground cumin would be a lovely addition, but it is a personal flavor preference.
Best Served With
One of our favorite sides to go with this soup is my Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread. My No Knead Peasant Bread would be the perfect compliment to this dish. If you’re in the mood for the easiest Focaccia, this recipe is a no-brainer. For anyone that’s gluten-free, you can take a look at my Gluten-Free Bread here.
Common Questions
