Real Spanish Gazpacho

Real Spanish Gazpacho is refreshing, slightly acidic, and a tangy blend of delicious vegetables. The most refreshing meal to enjoy during the summer on a hot day!

It has officially hit that time of year where BLAZING HOT doesn’t even cover it. You are probably familiar if you live anywhere in the south or on the East Coast. You spend some time outside and can immediately feel the thick blanket of humidity hit you with each breath of fresh air. That’s where are right now. Eating something hot for dinner? No, thank you.

But a cool and refreshing bowl of gazpacho?!?! ALL DAY!!!!! I can’t think of a better summer meal. It’s one you can enjoy for lunch, dinner, even breakfast. Full of delicious, in-season vegetables that are blended into a creamy chilled coup. It’s also easily packable and makes a fantastic picnic meal if you’re on the go.

Inspiration:

This recipe was inspired by a trip I took to Spain in which I tasted the absolute BEST Gazpacho I’ve ever had in my life.  The trip was to Southern Spain in the Andalusian region, and the town was Ronda. If you are venturing to this part of the World, you must visit Ronda. Out of the hundreds of European cities I’ve visited, this was by far the cleanest (I must also mention charming, picturesque, beautiful, and full of great restaurants). Here is a picture of me so flippin happy after tasting this gazpacho on a 100 degree + kind of day:

Of course the mojito in my hand also made me very happy, but that’s beside the point. This gazpacho. I wanted to bathe in it. We went back to the resort we were staying at, and I learned that real Spanish Gazpacho actually contains bread. Kind of weird, but this explained the slightly creamy texture. I watched a cooking demonstration, and learned the tricks to making this a delicious bowl of summer soup. Of course it took me a few tries to get it exactly right, and pretty darn close to that perfect day in Ronda. I am happy to share this recipe with the world in hopes that you all stop looking for the perfect Gazpacho recipe!

How to make Real Spanish Gazpacho:

This is the perfect summer dinner my friends!! We’ll gather up these ingredients:

• vine ripened tomatoes
• cucumber
• onion
• green bell pepper
• garlic
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil (or avocado oil)
• sea salt
• cumin
• French bread

Give the vegetables a rough chop, and place inside a high powered blender with the bread, red wine vinegar, salt, and cumin.

Power up the blender, and pour the oil in while blending. Blend until completely smooth!!

Pour into a large bowl or container, and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. I like to refrigerate for at least 8 hours, this does taste even better the next day!

Variations:

Spicy: If you want to add a little kick or spice to the recipe, go ahead and add in some cayenne pepper (about 1 tsp).

Gluten-Free/Paleo/Whole30 variation: you can omit the bread. The bread is a standard ingredient in Spanish Gazpacho and gives the recipe a creamy texture/taste.

Balsamic Vinegar: In my initial variation of this recipe, I liked the addition of 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar for more tang with a hint of sweetness. I have omitted in the recipe below for a few reasons: I think it still tastes delicious without, and it’s more authentic without it!

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Real Spanish Gazpacho

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Amy Rains

4.5 from 8 votes

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs vine ripe tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 6 inch cucumber peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt + more to taste
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper* (optional)
• Chunk of french bread** about 3-4 inches, cut into pieces

Instructions

1. Prepare your vegetables by ensuring they are chopped into small pieces (the garlic can be minced) Add the vegetables and bread to the blender.

2. Begin to pulse. Slowly add oil and vinegars. Keep blending until smooth. Add cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using).

3. Keep blending until the soup no longer has chunks and is pretty smooth. It will look a little creamy like the in the picture above.
4. Pour into a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours. The flavor gets better with time.

Recipe Notes

The soup will keep for about 5 days in the fridge, but is best within the first 48 hours.

*I do like to add in cayenne pepper for a bit of heat. Definitely optional, and not typically used in traditional gazpacho. But it's a nice touch!

**The bread is a traditional ingredient in Spanish Gazpacho, but can be omitted for a Gluten-Free or Paleo version.