This easy homemade gazpacho soup recipe is prepared with fresh tomatoes and peppers harvested straight from the garden. Serve it for brunch or a fresh starter to any meal.
Easy Gazpacho Soup Recipe
It's time for fresh gazpacho, my friends. If your garden is exploding with chili peppers and tomatoes, this is the recipe for you. Grab the blender and let's get cooking.
If you've never had gazpacho before, you're in for a treat! Gazpacho is absolutely one of the freshest meals in a bowl you can ever experience.
What is Gazpacho?
Gazpacho is a cold soup made from blending raw vegetables. It is Spanish in origin and in general incorporates a number of fresh garden ingredients that have been blended with an oil and vinegar base.
How you interpret this very basic description is up to you, and explains why there are so many takes on this classic dish.
Traditional gazpacho ingredients include green peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and perhaps some bread for thickening and light seasonings.
But as with any tradition, it is up for experimentation and interpretation, particularly for regions wanting to use their own local ingredients.
This is what we're doing here today. I am including ingredients pulled from my own garden, which you can do as well. I'm not including cucumber, but if you've grown them and want to use one or two, feel free to include them, as they will add another layer of freshness and body to the end result.
What I AM including is a combination of different types of heirloom tomatoes as well as a mish-mosh of chili peppers.
We grew at least a dozen varieties of peppers this year and I'm including so many types, including Georgia Flame, Cayenne Buist's, Hugarian Wax, jalapenos (of course), jaloro, apple peppers, a couple of Thais --- what else?
What did I miss? The choice of peppers is yours, but for now, let's talk about how to make gazpacho, shall we?
Gazpacho Ingredients
- Tomatoes. Peeled and chopped.
- Chili Peppers. Stemmed, seeded and chopped – I used a HUGE mix of peppers of all heat ranges.
- Sweet Onion. Chopped (red onion is a nice substitution).
- Carrot. Peeled and chopped.
- Fresh Parsley. Basil is good, too!
- Garlic Cloves. Minced.
- Tomato Juice.
- Red Wine Vinegar. Sherry vinegar is great here, as is a good quality white vinegar.
- Olive Oil.
- Lemon Juice.
- Sriracha.
- Worcestershire.
- Salt and Black Pepper. To taste.
- Chopped Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Parsley or Basil and Croutons. For serving.
How to Make Gazpacho Soup - The Recipe Method
- First, add the tomatoes, peppers, carrot, parsley and garlic to a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
- Strain or run through a food mill to smooth it out, though you can keep some of the pulp if you’d like more texture.
- Add to a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients.
- Stir vigorously to combine, or you can reprocess with a food processor.
- Chill overnight to allow flavors to mingle, or until ready to serve. Season with salt, if desired.
- Serve in bowls and top with extra chopped tomatoes, olive oil, parsley and croutons.
Boom! Easy recipe, isn't? Gazpacho is on the table, my friends! What do you think? Perfect for a hot summer day, isn't it? Quite refreshing. The perfect summer soup.
Check out the recipe video below if you have any questions. I made this and we enjoyed it for lunch the next day on our patio. It was cool and refreshing on a hot summer afternoon. I hope you enjoy it!
Patty's Perspective
I love gazpacho so much that I am going to make Mike prepare this weekly while our garden is harvesting. It is so easy to make, you can whip it up in about 5 minutes, and if you make a big batch, you can have it for a few days. It's fun to see how the flavors change as time passes.
The heat diminishes but it is all still so fresh and delicious. I am one who loves a nice crunch to my soup, so crispy croutons or crackers are a BONUS for me.
NOTE: Be sure to check out the Gazpacho video recipe below!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Tomatoes and Peppers Ratio. What's important in this recipe is the ratio of peppers to tomato. You'll want 1 pound of peppers to 2 pounds tomatoes. Unless you want more chili pepper heat and flavor! I know this sounds like a lot! It isn't, really. If you're using larger bell peppers, isn't a whole lot, though if you're using smaller, lighter peppers, yes, you will need quite a few.
- This is part of the reason I like to use a variety - for weight and volume, but also for levels of heat and overall flavor. This can certainly work with using only a single type of pepper, but if you do, I would go with a thick-walled variety that is sweeter and not too hot.
- Be Sure to Chill. Make sure to let the gazpacho chill overnight in a large bowl, or at least a few hours. Letting it chill will allow the flavors to mingle, and the whole thing will mellow out a bit, losing some of that rawness. Just cover and chill it in the refrigerator.
The Peppers. Be careful using peppers that are too hot, as the gazpacho soup can get hot pretty quickly. Maybe include a habanero for a real heat blast, but that is pretty darned hot for most people.
Personally, I enjoy the variety and how they all combine to create a beautiful, fresh-tasting dish that is hard to resist.
The Tomatoes. I use a mixture of heirloom tomatoes I'm growing in any given season. I love large beefy tomatoes, but also smaller cherry tomatoes that are often sweeter and very juicy. Use your favorites.
Storage & Leftovers
Storing your Gazpacho Soup in an airtight container in the fridge may allow to keep it for up to 2-3 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate your soup promptly.
You can also freeze it in freezer containers for 3 months or longer.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS.Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Easy Gazpacho Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds tomatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 pound mixed chili peppers stemmed, seeded and chopped – I used a HUGE mix of peppers of all heat ranges
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 1 medium-sized carrot peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley basil is good, too!
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup tomato juice
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped tomatoes olive oil, parsley or basil and croutons for serving
Instructions
- To a food processor, add tomatoes, peppers, carrot, parsley and garlic. Process until smooth.
- Strain or run through a food mill to smooth it out, though you can keep some of the pulp if you’d like more texture.
- Add to a mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients.
- Stir vigorously to combine, or you can reprocess with a food processor.
- Chill overnight to allow flavors to mingle, or until ready to serve.
- Serve in bowls and top with extra chopped tomatoes, olive oil, parsley and croutons.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
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