Best Gazpacho
Updated Nov. 13, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes plus chilling time
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- About 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks
- 1Italian frying (cubanelle) pepper or another long, light green pepper, such as Anaheim, cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks
- 1cucumber, about 8 inches long, peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 1small mild onion (white or red), peeled and roughly cut into chunks
- 1clove garlic
- 2teaspoons sherry vinegar, more to taste
- Salt
- ½cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste, plus more for drizzling
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
122 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 365 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender or, if using a hand blender, in a deep bowl. (If necessary, work in batches.) Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.
- Step 2
With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.
- Step 3
Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Step 4
Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. Serve in glasses, over ice if desired, or in a bowl. A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this twice. The first time I strained it, per recipe. It was good, seemed more like juice than gazpacho. Would probably be good with a little vodka and Tabasco. But I missed the fiber, so the next time I puréed the heck out of it, but did not strain. I liked it better. Drank the vodka straight. :)
I am from Madrid but spent almost all the summers before I was 28 yr-old in Andalucía, where I own a place. Your recipe is pretty accurate but I want to give you some feedback. First of all, I definitely use less oil. We also add a pinch of cumin and we leave half the peel of the cucumber on for better digestion. Last, we add the white center of days-old bread (a third or half of a French baguette-like) soaked in vinager, to the blender. The bread makes it really creamy, great use of old bread!
In short: Strain the soup. I learned by experience.
The first time, it seemed so nicely liquified, using the Vitamix, that I served it as was, seemingly delicious.
The second time I strained it and the soup was transformed. The flavors so precise, unusual in purity, they required no garnish, no drizzle, no crouton. The guests were in unanimous agreement on this point.
Other notes: go a bit shy with the sherry vinegar and salt, you can add more later if needed. A little goes a long way.
I lived in Madrid for almost 6 years. In Madrid you soak about 3-4 pieces of day old bread in water. Slit an X in the bottom of ripe tomatoes and plop them into boiling water for 20 seconds or until the peels are loose. Drain tomatoes, peel and deseeded. Squeeze almost all of the water out of the bread. Pare off part of the skin of your cucumber, so it looks striped, chop. Add to blender vinegar, onion, garlic, green frying pepper. Blend, correct seasonings.
I make this version of gazpacho every weekend during tomato season (since NYT Cooking posted this recipe!). It is SO delicious and feels great to get in those veggies. I did strain it the first time I made it but I found it an unnecessary step. The only other modifications I regularly make? An extra garlic clove never hurts.
I am from Sevilla. I have seen my great grandmother make gazpacho by hand (before blenders were used). I have been drinking (drinking) and making gazpacho my whole life.The true recipe for gazpacho is very simple. Ingredients: tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper (not red, or yellow, green), garlic, soacked bread (old one, and not the sliced kind, but the bakery type), salt, vinager (wine white vinager) and good olive oil. Served very cold, in a glass. No garnish, straining, cuming or tabasco.
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