Gazpacho Recipe

Make Gazpacho Recipe tonight: chilled, bright tomato soup with olive oil and sherry vinegar, ready in minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 slices day old bread
• ½ cup cold water
• 3½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes (plus more for serving)
• 1 red bell pepper (deseeded and roughly chopped, plus more for serving)
• 1 green bell pepper (deseeded and roughly chopped, plus more for serving)
• 1 cucumber (roughly chopped, plus more for serving)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (not wine!)
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Step 1: Tear and Soak the Bread

Tear the two slices of day-old bread into rough, bite-sized pieces and place them in a small ceramic bowl. Pour the ½ cup of cold water over the bread so every fragment is moistened, then let it sit for 10–15 minutes until the crumbs are soft and spongy. When the time is up, squeeze the soaked bread firmly with your hands over the bowl to expel all excess water until it feels compact and no longer dripping.

Step 2: Prepare the Vegetables and Aromatics

Roughly chop the tomatoes, deseed and roughly chop the red and green bell peppers, and coarsely chop the cucumber; set each in its own small bowl. Peel the garlic cloves and keep them whole. Arrange these prepped vegetables nearby so they are ready to go into the blender; this keeps the flavors bright and the textures clear for the next step.

Step 3: Blend into a Smooth Gazpacho Base

Add the squeezed bread pieces to the food processor or blender along with the chopped tomatoes, red and green peppers, cucumber, and the garlic cloves. Pulse and then blend steadily until the mixture becomes a smooth, thick orange liquid—silky with fine vegetal flecks. Pour in the ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, stir in the 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar and ½ teaspoon kosher salt, taste and adjust seasoning. This is the key visual transformation: an airy, emulsified, vividly orange gazpacho base with a glossy sheen from the oil.

Step 4: Strain and Chill the Soup

Pass the blended mixture through a fine sieve or chinois, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much bright, nectar-like liquid as possible; discard the coarse pulp. Transfer the strained soup into a serving bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours so the flavors settle and the texture cools to a silky, spoonable consistency.

Step 5: Serve Chilled with Fresh Garnish

Spoon the chilled gazpacho into a shallow serving bowl, finish with a delicate drizzle of extra virgin olive oil that glistens on the surface, and scatter a small mound of finely diced tomatoes, red bell pepper, and cucumber at the center for a crunchy contrast. Add a pinch of salt in a tiny rustic bowl nearby for optional seasoning. The final plate should feel bright, smooth, and summery—creamy orange base, jewel-toned garnishes, and a soft shimmer of oil.

Notes

• Use the ripest tomatoes you can find for the best flavor.
• Taste and adjust salt and sherry vinegar after chilling for a brighter finish.
• Strain for silky texture or skip straining for a rustic bowl.
• Substitute gluten-free bread if needed or omit bread and add a touch more olive oil.
• Chill at least two hours so flavors meld and the soup is nicely cold.