Andalusia · Spanish
Gazpacho Andaluz (Spanish Chilled Tomato Soup)
Andalusia's answer to summer heat: ripe raw tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic, and good olive oil blended silky-smooth and served ice-cold. No cooking, just a blender and the best tomatoes you can find.
Published June 20, 2026
Cultural context
Gazpacho is the cold soup of Andalusia in southern Spain, a thrifty, cooling staple of the scorching summer. It shares a spirit with La Tomatina, the famous tomato-throwing festival in nearby Buñol (Valencia) each August — both are exuberant celebrations of the ripe summer tomato. Traditionally pounded by hand, gazpacho is now blended, and bread is often added for body.
Gazpacho is what southern Spain drinks when the summer turns merciless: a chilled soup of raw tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic, and good olive oil, blended silky and served straight from the fridge. There’s no cooking at all — just a blender and, crucially, the best tomatoes you can lay your hands on.
It belongs to the same exuberant summer spirit as La Tomatina, the riotous tomato-throwing festival held in Buñol each August. Both are, at heart, a celebration of the ripe tomato at its peak.
It’s only as good as the tomatoes
There’s nowhere to hide in a raw soup. Use the ripest, reddest, most fragrant in-season tomatoes you can find — supermarket tomatoes in winter will make a sad, pale gazpacho. Everything else (a little garlic, go gently; good sherry vinegar; a generous glug of olive oil) is there to flatter them.
Blend long, stream the oil
The signature of a good gazpacho is its velvety texture. Blend everything for a full minute or more, then — with the motor running — pour in the olive oil in a steady stream so it emulsifies, turning the soup creamy and a shade lighter. A little soaked stale bread, the traditional addition, gives it even more body. Pass it through a sieve if you want it truly smooth.
Season it cold
Cold blunts flavour, so chill the soup thoroughly first, then taste and adjust the salt and vinegar — gazpacho seasoned while warm always tastes flat once cold. Serve it icy, in bowls or glasses, with a scatter of diced vegetables and a final thread of olive oil.
Looking for more summer-festival food? Browse the World Festive collection or the full recipe collection.
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 kg very ripe tomatoes The whole dish depends on these — use the ripest, reddest, in-season tomatoes you can find. Roughly chopped.
- 1 cucumber, peeled Reserve a little for garnish.
- 1 green Italian or red bell pepper
- 1 small clove garlic Go easy — raw garlic is powerful.
- 50 g stale bread, crusts removed (optional) Soaked in a little water. Traditional, for a silkier, fuller body. Omit for gluten-free.
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil Plus more to finish. Use a good one — you'll taste it.
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar The authentic tang; red wine vinegar works.
- salt, to taste
To garnish
- finely diced cucumber, pepper, and tomato; a drizzle of olive oil
Method
Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.
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If using bread, soak it in a little water until soft. Roughly chop all the vegetables.
Why: Softened bread blends in smoothly and gives the soup its traditional velvety body. Chopping helps the blender break everything down evenly.
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Blend the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, garlic, and soaked bread until completely smooth — a minute or more in a powerful blender.
Why: A long blend is what gives gazpacho its signature silky texture; under-blending leaves it grainy and watery.
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With the blender running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream until the soup turns slightly creamy and lighter in colour, then add the vinegar and salt.
Why: Streaming in the oil emulsifies it into the soup, giving a rounder, creamier body rather than oil floating on top.
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For the smoothest result, pass the soup through a sieve. Chill thoroughly, at least 2 hours.
Why: Sieving removes skins and seeds for a luxuriously smooth texture; gazpacho must be served properly cold, and chilling also lets the flavours meld.
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Taste and adjust salt and vinegar once cold, then serve in bowls or glasses topped with finely diced vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil.
Why: Cold dulls seasoning, so always adjust after chilling. The diced garnish adds texture against the smooth soup.
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Variations
- Salmorejo (thicker)
Cordoba's richer cousin: more bread, no cucumber or pepper, blended thick and topped with chopped egg and jamón. Almost a dip.
- Watermelon gazpacho
Blend in a few chunks of watermelon for a sweeter, even more summery version.
- Extra smooth
Peel the tomatoes first (score and blanch) and double-sieve for a restaurant-smooth, jewel-bright soup.
Serving & Storage
Serve very cold, in bowls as a starter or in glasses to sip on a hot day. Set out little bowls of diced vegetables, croutons, and good olive oil so everyone can garnish their own.
Pairs with: Crusty bread, Jamón serrano, A chilled fino sherry or crisp white, Hard-boiled egg.
Storage: Keeps 3 days refrigerated and arguably tastes better on day two. Stir before serving, as it can separate. Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 bowl (1/4 recipe))
- Calories
- 180
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 300 mg
Notable micronutrients: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium
Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to add bread?
No, but a little soaked stale bread is traditional and gives gazpacho a silkier, fuller body and helps emulsify the oil. Leave it out for a lighter, gluten-free soup — it will be slightly thinner but still delicious.
Why does my gazpacho taste flat?
Two usual causes: under-ripe tomatoes (the soup is only as good as they are) and under-seasoning. Cold mutes flavour, so always taste and adjust the salt and vinegar after it's chilled, not before.
How do I get it really smooth?
Blend for a full minute or more, stream in the oil to emulsify, and pass it through a sieve. For the silkiest result, peel the tomatoes first. A high-powered blender makes a noticeable difference.
What to drink with this
All drinks →Hand-picked pours to match this dish. Alcoholic pairings are for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US) — please drink responsibly.
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