Short Description
A refreshing Spanish-style gazpacho made from ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, celery water, garlic, onion, and fresh herbs—perfectly served chilled, with either a chunky or smooth texture and garnished to your taste.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Vibrant and refreshing: packed with fresh summer vegetables and herbs
- Versatile textures: choose chunky or smooth preparation to suit your mood
- Naturally flavorful: balanced with vinegar, olive oil, and spices—no cooking required
- Customizable garnishes: add avocado, croutons, fennel, or microgreens for added flair
Ingredients
(Tip: You’ll find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.)
1 cup celery, sliced (about 2 stalks)
1 cup water
2 lb ripe tomatoes (such as cherry, grape, yellow, heirloom, or Roma)
1 red bell pepper (or yellow)
8 oz cucumber, peeled into strips (thin‑skinned varieties like English, Persian or Turkish are best)
1/3 cup red onion
2 garlic cloves
2–3 tsp red wine or sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8–1/4 tsp piment d’Espelette or cayenne or sweet paprika
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup parsley plus 1/4 cup basil, mint, cilantro or dill)
Optional: 1 Tbsp tomato paste (for sweetness)
Optional: 1–2 slices soaked bread (for texture)
Directions
Chunky Gazpacho
- Blend celery and water; strain and reserve celery juice. Discard pulp.
- Rough‑chop half of the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion; add with garlic to the blender with celery juice. Pulse until uniformly chopped but not pureed. If using tomato paste or soaked bread, add and pulse a few more times.
- Finely dice the remaining half of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion; stir into the blender mixture.
- Add vinegar, salt (start light), pepper, cumin, piment d’Espelette and coriander. Stir in chopped fresh herbs.
- Taste and adjust salt, vinegar and spices as needed.
- Chill before serving. Garnish with olive oil drizzle, avocado, microgreens, croutons, fennel, or diced vegetables as desired.
Smooth Gazpacho
- Blend celery and water; strain and reserve celery juice.
- Add all chopped tomatoes, cucumber strips, bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the blender with celery juice. Blend until smooth.
- With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil to emulsify until glossy and creamy.
- Add vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, piment d’Espelette (or alternative), coriander. If needed, add tomato paste for sweetness. Adjust seasonings.
- Stir or gently pulse in chopped fresh herbs—do not over-blend to preserve color.
- Chill thoroughly before serving. Top as desired.
Servings And Timing
- Serves: about 6 portions as a chilled summer soup or appetizer
- Prep Time: ~20 minutes (including chopping and blending)
- Chill Time: at least 1 hour to develop flavor
- Total Time: ~1 hour 20 minutes
Variations
- Bread-thickened: stir in soaked bread slices during blending for airier texture
- Spice level: adjust piment d’Espelette or cayenne to your heat preference
- Herb mix: experiment with cilantro, dill, mint, or parsley alone or in combination
- Sweetness: add tomato paste or extra vinegar to balance acidity if tomatoes are underripe
Storage/Reheating
- Refrigeration: store gazpacho in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Herbs may fade; stir before serving.
- Freezing: not recommended due to texture changes from fresh vegetables and herbs
- Serving: stir chilled soup before plating; add fresh garnishes just before serving for best crunch and color
FAQs
How Do I Choose Ripe Tomatoes For Gazpacho?
Select tomatoes that are fully colored and fragrant. Heirlooms or Romas deliver intense flavor. Use a mix of varieties for depth.
Can I Skip The Celery Juice Step?
Not recommended—the celery water adds subtle freshness. If you omit the celery pulp, use plain water or cucumber juice instead.
Can I Make Gazpacho Fully Smooth Even With Added Bread?
Yes—but only use soaked and crumbled bread. Squeeze excess liquid before blending to avoid watery consistency.
How Can I Prevent The Herbs From Losing Color?
Add fresh herbs at the end of blending and stir in gently without overprocessing.
Can I Use Other Vinegars If I Don’t Have Sherry Vinegar?
Red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar works well in place of sherry vinegar, though the taste may vary slightly.
Is Gazpacho Spicy?
It can be mild or spicy depending on how much piment d’Espelette or cayenne you use. Start small and taste before adding more.
Does It Need To Be Served Cold?
Yes—gazpacho should be chilled thoroughly for best flavor and texture. Avoid serving it at room temperature.
Can I Make This A Day Ahead?
Yes—flavors develop over time. Just store chilled and stir before serving; add final garnishes fresh.
Can I Add Other Vegetables Like Avocado Or Fennel?
Yes—finely diced avocado, fennel, cucumber, or tomato added as garnish enhances texture and freshness.
Is Gazpacho Vegan And Gluten-Free?
Yes—made from vegetables, herbs, vinegar, and oil. Use gluten-free bread if soaking bread for texture, or omit entirely.
Conclusion
This best gazpacho recipe highlights the taste of summer with bright vegetables, fresh herbs, and vibrant seasonings. Whether chunky or smooth, garnished fancifully or simply drizzled with olive oil, it’s a no-cook, healthy delight perfect for warm-weather meals. Customize it to your favorite flavors and enjoy every chilled spoonful.
Print
Best Gazpacho Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A refreshing Spanish-style gazpacho made from ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, celery water, garlic, onion, and fresh herbs—perfectly served chilled, with either a chunky or smooth texture and garnished to your taste.
Ingredients
1 cup celery, sliced (about 2 stalks)
1 cup water
2 lb ripe tomatoes (cherry, grape, yellow, heirloom, or Roma)
1 red or yellow bell pepper
8 oz cucumber, peeled into strips (English, Persian, or Turkish)
1/3 cup red onion
2 garlic cloves
2–3 tsp red wine or sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8–1/4 tsp piment d’Espelette, cayenne, or sweet paprika
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (parsley, basil, mint, cilantro, or dill)
Optional: 1 Tbsp tomato paste
Optional: 1–2 slices soaked bread
Instructions
- Blend celery and water; strain and reserve the juice. Discard pulp.
- For chunky gazpacho: Rough-chop half of the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion; blend with garlic and celery juice until chopped but not pureed. Add tomato paste or soaked bread if using and pulse.
- Finely dice the remaining vegetables and stir into the blended mixture.
- For smooth gazpacho: Blend all chopped vegetables with celery juice until smooth. Slowly drizzle in olive oil to emulsify.
- Add vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika or cayenne, and coriander. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Gently stir or pulse in fresh herbs.
- Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with olive oil, avocado, microgreens, croutons, or diced vegetables as desired.
Notes
- Use a mix of tomato varieties for depth of flavor.
- Celery juice adds subtle freshness; substitute with cucumber juice or water if needed.
- Soaked bread helps thicken the soup; use gluten-free if needed.
- Add herbs at the end to preserve color and brightness.
- Store chilled for up to 3–4 days; stir before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Spanish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
