Our Best Tomato Gazpacho
- PREP 15min
- COOK 30min
- TOTAL 45min
This tomato gazpacho recipe is definitely a favorite! This Spanish-style cold soup is incredibly flavorful and refreshing. It is made with tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. While authentic gazpacho recipes often use raw ingredients, we prefer lightly roasting tomatoes with onions and garlic. This makes the tomato flavor more rich and tones the raw bite of the garlic and onion. We also take the extra step to peel our tomatoes. It’s easy and develops a much better texture in the end. It’s not 100% necessary, but after making quite a few batches of this soup, we’ve noticed that those made with peeled tomatoes have a much more pleasant texture.
We use this recipe for garlic croutons. If you do not want to make your own, use store-bought croutons or cubed rustic bread as a substitute.
You Will Need
2 ½ pounds (1133 grams) ripe tomatoes, 6 to 7 medium tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Quarter of a large onion, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 cup garlic croutons, see recipe here, or substitute cubed rustic bread
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Prepare Vegetables
Heat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit (204°C). Set aside a wide baking dish as well as a small baking sheet.
Rub the bell pepper with a bit of olive oil, then place onto the small baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pepper skin looks wrinkly and you see dark spots. Remove from the oven. When the pepper has cooled enough to handle, pinch the skin and peel it away. Slice open the pepper, scrape the stem and seeds, and discard.
While the pepper roasts, peel tomatoes (optional, but enhances the texture of the soup, see notes above). Fill a large bowl with water and ice to make an ice bath. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut a shallow “X” into the bottom of each tomato. Carefully submerge the tomatoes into the boiling water and leave them for 30 seconds. Transfer to the ice bath. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to do this in two batches. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel away the skins.
Remove the core and slice each tomato in half, and then place into the large baking dish — it is okay if they are touching.
Scatter the smashed garlic cloves and sliced onion around the tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and finish with a few twists of black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
Blend Soup
In a small bowl, combine the croutons with water and vinegar. Set aside until the croutons absorb all the liquid and look soggy.
In a blender, add the tomato mixture with all of the onions, garlic, and juices in the dish. Then top with the bell pepper, crouton mixture, cucumber, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Blend on high until your desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, or vinegar.
Gazpacho tastes best when chilled. If you can, refrigerate for a few hours, if not overnight, to let the flavors bloom.
Serve drizzled with olive oil and chopped cucumber, tomato, and more croutons on top.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Gluten-free / bread-free: Croutons and bread add a silkiness and thickness to the soup, but you can leave them out and still make excellent gazpacho.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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