A truly easy gazpacho recipe. This chilled blended vegetable soup is super refreshing and one of my favorite ways to chill on a hot summer day.
Chilled soups are a lifesaver in the summer. Who wants to cook when it's hot and humid outside! When you crave something cool, refreshing, and easy to make, a bowl of chilled soup is perfect.
This easy gazpacho recipe is so good! This spiced and chilled tomato soup of Spanish origin is super flavorful, very refreshing, and one of my favorite ways to stay cool on a hot summer day.
Easy food processor recipe
My husband introduced me to this soup. I come from a home with fairly bland cooking. He loves everything well seasoned and (preferably) spicy. When he made this soup years ago, we didn't own a food processor, so he grated the vegetables by hand.
That was NOT an easy recipe, but I thought the soup was amazing. I'd never tried a cold soup before.
Now I have several tasty cold soups in my repertoire, including cold avocado soup (yes, it's wonderful), cold tomato soup (mild and creamy and quite different than this one), and tzatziki.
What ingredients to use
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this refreshing gazpacho. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
Vegetables and herbs: Celery, red onion, cilantro, garlic, and canned tomato sauce.
Olive oil: I highly recommend using a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe. It really does make a difference.
Fresh lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best. I don't recommend using bottled lemon juice.
Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar also works, as does champagne vinegar. Just don't use distilled white vinegar - it's too acidic.
Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the soup could end up too salty.
Spices: Paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Make sure they are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
What olive oil to use
The olive oil is prominent in this recipe, so it's important to use good olive oil that you really enjoy. It's kind of like cooking with wine. You don't want to use a cheap wine that you would not enjoy drinking.
Whether you use a bold tasting olive oil or a lighter one is up to you (I'm partial to a bold one). But just make sure it's extra virgin and of high quality.
What tomatoes to use
For the tomato sauce, I like to use Pomi Strained Tomatoes (available on Amazon and in many grocery stores including Whole Foods). These Italian tomatoes are delicious and sweet and lack the unpleasant acidic aftertaste typical to many local tomato sauces.
Another excellent Italian brand that's easier to find in American supermarkets is Cento Tomato Puree.
How to make gazpacho
It's so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Process the celery, onion, and cilantro in your food processor.
2. Gradually add the remaining ingredients and pulse after each addition to combine.
3. Chill the soup for about two hours before serving.
Smooth or chunky?
Some people like to make this soup chunky, adding cubed fresh veggies to the soup. I like it all pureed and smooth, though it is still a thick, substantial soup.
How to serve gazpacho?
I usually serve it as a first course. But I like to eat the leftovers for my lunch the next day.
So I make myself a bowl, and it's a lovely summer lunch, tasty and filling. Sometimes I serve it with jalapeno cheese crisps or with almond flour crackers.
What to do with leftovers?
Gazpacho is one of those dishes that not only keeps well in the fridge, it actually gets better.
You can keep it for up to four days, covered, in the fridge. And on the second day, it actually tastes better than when freshly prepared! Just remember to give it another stir before serving.
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Easy Gazpacho Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 3 stalks celery roughly chopped (6 oz)
- 1 large red onion peeled and quartered (8 oz)
- ½ cup cilantro (1 oz)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 cups canned plain tomato sauce no salt/sugar added
- ½ cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the celery, onion and cilantro in your food processor bowl. Process until finely chopped.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper and cayenne. Process until combined.
- Add the tomato sauce. Pulse a few times, until well-blended.
- Add the water. Again, pulse a few times, until well-blended.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge at least 2 hours before serving. Mix the gazpacho again before serving.
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living.