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Home » Seasonal Recipes » Summer Recipes » Easy Tomato Gazpacho

Easy Tomato Gazpacho

Jul 6, 2024 · by Valentina · 19 Comments

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This Tomato Gazpacho recipe is super quick and easy to make, and it's one of the best ways to celebrate tomato season. Gazpacho is a beautiful and delicious appetizer or lovely light entrée on a warm summer day.

Close up of Easy Tomato Gazpacho recipe in a blue and white bowl with diced avocados, tomatoes and onion on top.

First, what is Gazpacho?

  • Gazpacho is a Spanish soup that originated in Andalusia in southern Spain.
  • The original version of Gazpacho was made of stale bread, garlic, olive oil, whatever vegetables might have been available, and a liquid of some sort -- probably water.
  • Today, this soup is typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, onion and spices.
  • Gazpacho is usually served cold, but in some regions of Spain, they heat it before serving.

This recipe isn't authentic tomato gazpacho recipe, it's a somewhat close version that's easily made with just a few simple ingredients. You won't believe the amount of fresh and bright flavors that are packed into this soup.

My special addition to this gazpacho are the delicious toppings/mix-ins -- they add fantastic crunchy and creamy bites to the texture and they make for a beautiful presentation.

The Key Ingredients

Cutting board with lots of roughly chopped tomato, chopped red onion, half of a lime, olive oil and vinegar.
  • tomatoes - Any variety as long as they're in season, ripe and taste amazing! Color and feel are the best cues to ripeness -- they should be slightly firm, but have a little give when gently squeezed, and they should have a deep red color (or whatever the color is intended to be).
 Tomato Tip 1: It's not a must, but I advise removing the tomato seeds for a smoother texture -- it only takes a minute. Tomato Tip 2: The key to the success of this recipe is starting with the best, most flavorful tomatoes. During the summer months, your best bet is your local Farmers' Market. (Find yours using the Farmers' Market Finder.)
  • garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter. Raw garlic cloves should be firm without any dark spots. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in your garlic cloves, slice them in half, lengthwise, and remove the green root with the tip of a knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
  • red onion - I love red onion in tomato gazpacho because it's on the sweet side. You can substitute with shallots or yellow onions. Choose those that are heavy for their size and without any bruises.
  • sherry vinegar - Sherry vinegar is Spanish and is made form sherry. A good substitute is red wine vinegar.
  • extra virgin olive oil - You should use a good quality oil, one you love. Piro is one I've been loving lately. Quality of your oil is always important, but especially when it's not being heated/cooked.

How to Make it

- Add the tomatoes, red onion, garlic cloves, vinegar, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or a powerful blender. Tip: I find that a powerful blender, will result in a much smoother soup, if that's what you desire.

- Purée until it's as smooth as you'd like. I blend it so that it's somewhere between smooth and slightly chunky.

Food processor bowl filled with largely diced tomatoes and red onion.
Food processor bowl filled with red tomato gazpacho.

- Season to taste with more salt if necessary, and add a few turns of freshly ground black pepper.

- Either mix with or top with diced avocado, diced tomatoes and diced red onion. Drizzle with a bit more extra virgin olive oil. Tip: As far as the "mix-ins" go, use all, some, or any mix of them you like.

Top view of tomato gazpacho with tons of toppings including avocado, tomato and red onion.

Variations

  • A more traditional gazpacho includes cucumbers, peppers and often bread. Also onion is usually not in the soup, and is sometimes added to the top only. Feel free to play around with the recipe with different variations of these things.
  • Experiment with the texture -- more authentic gazpachos are puréed until they're very smooth and creamy.

Serving Suggestions

Since cold soups like gazpacho are usually served in warmer weather, I think the whole meal should involve little to no heat. From salads and breads, to sandwiches and veggies, here are 20 amazing things to serve with gazpacho.

Can you make it ahead?

Yes! In fact, it only gets better with time. You can make it up to two days ahead of time. (Cut and add mix-ins just before serving, though.)

More Must-Try Summer Recipes with Tomatoes

  • Pickled Tomatoes
  • Grated Tomatoes with Olive Oil and Toast
  • Tomato Basil Salad with Goat Cheese
  • Roasted Tomato Poblano Salsa Recipe
  • Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Lemon
  • Tomato Onion Salad with Balsamic Vinegar

Enjoy!

Easy Tomato Gazpacho recipe in a blue and white bowl with diced aocados, tomatoes and onion on top

Easy Tomato Gazpacho Recipe

Valentina K. Wein
This soup is a great way to celebrate tomato season during the summer. This is a beautiful and delicious appetizer or light entrée on a warm summer day. 
5 from 5 votes
Print
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine Spanish
Servings 4
Calories 331 kcal

Equipment

  • blender (or food processor)

Ingredients
  

The Gazpacho

  • 6 cups tomatoes, seeded, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, and inner stems removed
  • ¾ cup red onion roughly chopped
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

The Mix-ins

  • ½ cup avocado, cut into small dice (click for How to Cut an Avocado)
  • ¼ cup tomatoes, seeded, cut into small dice
  • ¼ cup red onion, cut into small dice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

The Gazpacho

  • Add the tomatoes, garlic cloves, red onion, olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper to a powerful blender or a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Purée until it's as smooth as possible.
  • Season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary. (How to Season to Taste.)

The Mix-ins

  • Mix in the diced avocado, tomatoes, red onion and extra virgin olive oil. Alternately, you can drizzle the oil on top and "decorate" the soup with the mix-ins.
  • Serve chilled.

NOTES

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1958IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords good for summer dinner parties, cold soup recipes
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. angiesrecipes

    June 23, 2019 at 10:08 pm

    Easy and delicious...simply perfect for the summer!

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 24, 2019 at 2:08 pm

      Many thanks, Angie! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  2. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

    June 24, 2019 at 4:28 am

    5 stars
    Talk about refreshing for supper! Love how you generously topped it with avocado too. Love that it can be made ahead too....great for meal prep. This would be SO perfect for lunch today! Happy Monday, Valentina 🙂

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 24, 2019 at 2:09 pm

      Thank you, Dawn. Wish I could bring you a bowl. 😉 ~Valentina

      Reply
  3. Eha

    June 24, 2019 at 6:04 pm

    I have always served gazpacho as a main dish for lunch ! Just with bread ! There have usually been some interesting tapas before . . . there may be a Catalan flan or similar later in the piece . . . perfect for the warmer months . . .

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 25, 2019 at 12:41 am

      I want to come to your house! Tapas, flan, gazpacho = perfection! Thank you, Eha. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  4. 2pots2cook

    June 25, 2019 at 5:07 am

    5 stars
    Completely agree to Eha 🙂 Beautiful dish, beautiful photos ! Enjoy the day dear 🙂

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 26, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      You both are so sweet. Thank you! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  5. Kelly | Foodtasia

    June 25, 2019 at 6:30 am

    5 stars
    This gazpacho is wonderful! It must be so amazing with garden fresh tomatoes - Yum!

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 26, 2019 at 5:57 pm

      Yes it is! Nothing like picking your food out in the yard. Wish I had more time to plant and care for a garden. One day. 🙂 Cheers! ~Valentina

      Reply
  6. Marissa

    June 25, 2019 at 2:36 pm

    5 stars
    I've been meaning to make gazpacho for ages - now I have just the recipe to use! This one looks perfectly refreshing, Valentina!

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 26, 2019 at 5:55 pm

      I hope you love it, Marissa. Fun for summer. Thanks! ~Valentina

      Reply
  7. Kim Lange

    June 26, 2019 at 7:08 am

    5 stars
    I love the avocado and olive oil! This is such a refreshing yummy soup, and it's beautiful as well. Pinning too! xo

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 26, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      Thanks so much, Kim! And for pinning 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  8. John / Kitchen Riffs

    June 26, 2019 at 8:29 am

    Gosh, your gazpacho looks terrific! I haven't made this dish in ages, and now you have me totally craving it. 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
    • valentina

      June 26, 2019 at 5:36 pm

      I consider that success. Many thanks, John! Enjoy. ~Valentina

      Reply
  9. valentina

    June 26, 2019 at 5:35 pm

    Yes! Love that we both had it on our minds. 🙂 Love the Mexican version, too! Happy summer, Nancy. ~Valentina

    Reply
  10. Velva- Evening With A Sandwich

    August 14, 2024 at 7:33 am

    Gazpacho is so under appreciated. Love this!!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      August 14, 2024 at 3:58 pm

      Hi there! Thanks so much for visiting. I hope you try it -- especially while it's still summertime. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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