I went 27 years of my life never making Gazpacho and in the past 2 weeks I’ve made it 3 times. I blame hot yoga and my crazy water cravings. ;)
“Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal (where it is known as gaspacho) and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its cold temperature and acidic bite.” [source]
Gazpacho is not only refreshing and light during the Spring and Summer months, but it is packed with healthy ingredients- a ‘salad in a blender’ if you will. I just can’t get enough of it!
My first attempt…was not something I’m proud of. I learned a very important lesson when making Gazpacho- go EASY on the raw garlic! Lesson #1 learned. I did keep away the vampires though.
I also found out that blending spinach and basil with tomatoes produces a lovely puke green colour…
Lesson #2 learned. Avoid puke green.
My second attempt was better and I loved my third attempt, so I‘m sharing it with you today. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the Victoria Day long weekend than by sitting down to a fresh bowl of chilled Gazpacho. After all, it just may balance out all that beer we will be drinking!
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Gazpacho
Yield
2 litres (8 cups)
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Chill time
3 to 4 hours, or overnight
Total time
This is the perfect soup to serve on a hot summer day. Bonus points if you’re eating outside! A word to the wise, this recipe makes a lot—almost 8 cups. I find it barely fits in my 64-ounce Vitamix. If you are using a smaller blender, I recommend blending the soup in batches before mixing it all together at the end.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500 mL) vegetable cocktail or tomato juice*
- 1 1/2 pounds (0.6 kg) tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 medium/large (425 g) red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 medium/large English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (30 g) chopped sweet onion
- 1 medium/large garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) fresh lime juice, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2–3 tablespoons (22.5 to 45 mL) red wine vinegar, to taste
- Chopped bell peppers, avocado, green onion, olive oil, croutons, etc., for serving
Directions
- Combine the vegetable cocktail or tomato juice, tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic, lime juice, and parsley (if using) in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Add in the rest of the seasonings (salt, red pepper flakes, pepper, and vinegar) to taste, and blend again.
- Pour into a 2-litre/8 cup glass jar and secure lid. Chill for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
- Before serving, shake the jar to combine. Pour into bowls, and garnish with your desired toppings (such as chopped peppers, avocado, green onion, croutons, olive oil, etc.). Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tip:
* I like to use Lakewood Organic Super Veggie Cocktail.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Some of you asked if I could show some before and afters using my new 5-in-1 Reflector Kit. This morning it was actually sunny, so I busted out the diffusion disc for this shoot.
One of the best photography tips I ever learned was taught to me by my wedding photographer, Dave Biesse. I was excited that it was sunny for our outdoor engagement shoot and he said bright sunlight is actually the worst condition to shoot in (unless of course you are going for a certain kind of look). The sun creates a very harsh-looking photo if you aren’t careful.
Case in point: this produce was shot in direct sunlight. It looks harsh and shadowy.
Check out the same shot, using my diffusion disc placed in front of the window. Quite the difference. You can see that the glare is gone.
Another direct sunlight shot:
With diffusion disc…much better!
I’m happy to have a diffusion disc now because I used to have to move my table out of the sunlight and it was pretty annoying to keep shuffling everything around. Now I can just place the disc in front of the window and shoot away.
I also thought I would show you the first shot of the Gazpacho that I took:
Boring. Bland. Not exciting at all. It really doesn’t do this vibrant gazpacho any justice, does it?
I decided to play up the yellow pepper garnish, and I added these yellow rimmed plates (a birthday gift from Morgan!)
It was an improvement, but the black background still wasn’t doing it for me. It was too serious and sombre looking for this playful soup.
I tried this placemat:
Still not crazy about it!
Then, I decided to add some props (tomatoes and parsley) and a new placemat…
It really started to come together when I did this.
In this photo, I tilted the placemat so that the lines create more movement in the photo. I still don’t feel that skilled with food photography, but practice definitely helps! I would love to take a food photography workshop someday.
Before: After:
Moral of the story: Play with your food. :)
And go have yourself a great Friday!
Love that you’re encouraging folks not to fear cold soup! I lived in Spain for a while and it was always my favourite thing to start off a meal with or even just grab as a snack on a hot day (they sell it in little juicebox-type containers there so you can drink it on the go). Can’t wait for the weather to warm up enough here to really enjoy it!
I think you take stellar food pictures!!!! You may not think so, but I think you could TEACH a class like that.
Gazpacho is one of my all time favorite soups – a great way to enjoy salsa by the spoonful ;)
great pics and a great recipe! I still have not made it myself! Soon I will though especially because of this amazing weather we are having here in LA! :-)
Thanks for sharing your photography tips! You’re picking up so much very quickly, and have an eye for food photography.
Gazpacho is wonderful! I haven’t had it in years. It was my go to meal when I was vegan, but I’d always add a bit of pureed chickpeas and sunflower seeds to it for a bit more sustenance. Thanks for reminding me of how much I LOVE this soup!
You have outdone yourself. I swear, those are some of the most amazing food photos I have ever seen. You should be very proud!
I love love love gazpacho….its one of my favorite soups! Your recipe is pretty similar to my go to recipe so I’m sure its delicious! I really should post about my avocado cucumber gazpacho…..you’d love it!!!!
We made this at the raw foods course I took with macadamia nut cheese on top!!!!
Totally random, but speaking of cooling, juicy foods, have you ever tried to make som tum (or som tam)? It’s a staple Thai dish that’s really spicy and wonderful. It usually uses fish sauce and dried shrimp, but it’s easy to make vegan (omit the dried shrimp and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce).
No I havent but it sounds interesting! I
Angela,
GORGEOUS colors in your photos today. I honestly could hang those in my kitchen with the intense reds!!! Love it! A little bit of extra time and effort made all the difference. That’s why you are so successful–little details matter! :)
I can’t wait until later on this summer when I can make this with fresh garden tomatoes!
I’ve never had gazpacho before, but I absolutely love V8 juice, so I’m sure I’d like this soup too. It sounds so refreshing!
These soups are reallllly getting me craving summer!
I came across your blog recently and I feel like it’s a perfect fit for me! I’m currently an undergrad psychology student at UWO, planning on going to get my Masters at UofT in psych next year, love to run, love to bake, and LOVE to eat. Could we really have more in common? :)
Aww thanks! We should meet one day :)
I absolutely love your photos!! I hope to get a nice camera someday and learn to take pictures like that. :-)
Gazpacho is my hubby’s favorite soup! I’ve tried a few variations but he says none of them compare to his ideal, which he had in a restaurant several years ago. Maybe this is “the one”! :)
I love tomato soup, and that is what the red gazpacho soup reminds me of. I am sure that the gazpacho is more flavorful, though.
Cheers to the weekend :)
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
I’ve never tried gazpacho because cold soup doesn’t appeal to me, but yet every time I see a photo or read a description, I think “Ohhh I’ve got to try that soon!” These pictures may have just sealed the deal. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
These pictures are beautiful! All of the colors are so pretty and summery :) I LOVE gazpacho!
I’ve never eaten or made gazpacho but, sure I would love it since I like salsa, V-8, etc. I’m gonna give it a try since it’s about to be 99 degrees tomorrow, ugh.
Beautiful Photography Angela! The soup looks great! :)
The photos look REALLY great!! You are so extremely talented! I love the simplicity of the black background in photo #9, but photo #1 is my fav! :) I’ve never made or eaten gazpacho, but I know I would love it!
This is such a great post. Not only does the gazpacho look wonderful, but I love your process of finding the best photo. I am at BlogHerFood and just took 2 classes on food photography and you are right on!! Loved reading this post after those classes :)
Hi! I read your blog, but I never commented before, but when I saw this recipe I couldn’t go without saying something. The thing is that I live on gazpacho most of the summer, it’s really refreshing, and the perfect side dish/light dinner. I’m Spanish, and I have to say that yours looks lovely. But I would like to tell you a couple of things I do different: I peel the tomatoes, I use red pepper and green pepper (2/3 green pepper and 1/3 red one), and I add cold water to make it less thick. We use to serve it cold, with some cumumber, onion and green pepper chopped, and some toasted/fried bread little cubes.
Obviously, the best way to make it is to adjust the ingredients to your personal taste.
By the way, I love your blog, and the photos!
Greetings from Spain!
Greetings!! Great tips. I heard that peeling the skins off works great..Im just too lazy most of the time! ;) I will have to try it though to compare. Also do you remove the tomato seeds too?
Hi again! My mum always uses a mincer and after that a food mill, so any seed is left there, but if you use a blender I don’t think it’s necessary to remove them before. Anyway, it’s always a cuestion of taste. I hope I was helpful!
I’ve been trying to play with my food photos a lot more lately, but I can’t even get anywhere near the beautiful photographs you have! :D Hopefully I’ll get better as I get more experience. I’ve been craving a cold soup since it’s been getting hotter here so this is perfect! Thanks!
It is so hot and humid here and I loooove tomatoes. This looks so vibrant and delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
With food like that, melting outside is not so bad (and better than being stuck inside!).
I love how much you know about photography and how much you’re willing to share. It’s great seeing the before and after’s!
I love gazpacho and will definitely try this recipe as soon as tomatos look in season. Your recipe looks delicious!!
Ah, I love gazpacho soup! And this one looks wonderful! Love your photos!
I know you dont do this kind of things on your blog, but I just gave you a Smile-you are beautiful award on my blog! Because.. you are! And because reading your blog motivates me to give my body what it needs! So thank you:)
thanks so much!
Hi!
Great recipe
This post is so timely. I had my first bowl of gazpacho at a spanish recently, and I totally enjoyed it. I like how refreshing gazpacho is, and was thinking of making it. I might make my first bowl of gazpacho soon – first bowl in 25 years. I love how you style your food! It’s amazing how little props can go a long way to make photos look attractive:)
Thanks for the gazpacho recipe – I live in Athens, Greece, where tomato season is like heaven, and I can’t wait to make this soup when we’re back in town (we’re currently on our honeymoon in Scandinavia). As much as I’m having a blast on our honeymoon, I miss my vegan kitchen and fresh Greek produce! This soup will be first on the list of things to make once I’m home!
I just made the Gazpacho.. and served it as a veggie drink. It is the bees knees! I can hardly wait to share it with my Vegan/Vegetarian co-workers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Hi Angela!
I was looking for a gazpacho recipe this weekend and found yours! It got RAVE reviews!! This is the first time I made it and used my new Vitamix too! I actually found ‘spicy’ tomato juice too and used that and it was awesome!
Just wanted to give you props :)
very good. actually, very, very good.
Just quadrupled this recipe to make for the Cafe I work at. It’s SO delicious! I ended up using balsamic vinegar, but only half the amount you request for red wine vinegar. I think it adds a lovely touch. I also couldn’t find low sodium V8, so I simply didn’t add any salt. Thank you so much. Your recipes always amaze me. I’m constantly sharing them with my friends, family, and customers. (:
Hi Angela!
I am a new vegan (since May 2014) and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE your cookbook and website!! I have made several of your recipes and they are amazing. currently, I am searching your website/cookbook for an easy, comfort meal I can serve 12 people during a beach week vacation. I’m close to settling on the black bean and sweet potato enchiladas. Anyhoo, I came across this gazpacho recipe, which might be beach-y, too…. I love V-8, but saw a post containing an email from Campbell’s themselves saying that it’s vegetarian, but not vegan, due to the “natural flavors.” :( One thing about this new endeavor is learning/understanding just how pervasive animal products/byproducts are!! they are in everything! Thought I’d share that… Thanks again for continuing to inspire me in the kitchen. I am IN LOVE with the lentil walnut taco filling. And the lentil loaf. OMG.
Hey Jenn,
Wow that is good to know! I don’t buy V8 anymore (there are healthier organic brands out there now), but it’s not too surprising given all the hidden ingredients these days. Sheesh! Nothing is sacred. ;)
I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying the cookbook and blog so much!! Thanks for your kind words!
Hi Angela, your photos are very good andlok 100% proffesional. May I ask which lens do you use?
Sorry for the typo. I meant “and look”
Angela,
I absolutely ADORE gazpacho! I have been fooling with my own recipe on me off for a few years but struggle because I am the only one in the house who eats it, so getting the proportionate ingredients together is not an easy task. But these photos are so inspiring that I have to try again. I have a neighbor who is just getting in his summer tomatoes here in the MidWest so as soon as I get my greedy little hands on some I will give this recipe as well as my own another whirl. I can always share with my neighbor, I suppose…I also love watermelon gazpacho, so may try that, too. Just got a gorgeous watermelon. As I am recipe creating testing in preparation for my own blog launch, my husband is trying to assist me with photography…the issue? We both think there’s only one right way and each of us thinks our own way is just that! Planning a food photo shoot this weekend. God help us all!
Hi Angela,
This looks great! Does it freeze well? Just wondering since it makes such a large quantity. I love your recipes, many of them are on daily rotation in my house. ; )
Thank you!
Tara
Hey Angela,
I made this gazpacho last night, and I found that overnight in my fridge, it separated. Is that a bad sign, or should I just stir it up and enjoy?
That’s totally normal! Just give it a stir before consuming. :)
Looks AMAZING! I dont have any vinegar besides apple cider vinegar… would that work??
I must say, I really like the first food picture of your soup! It is plain and simple and it focuses on the food. It make my mouth water and want to try gaspacho again and in the past I didn’t like it! The last picture looks great, but the color of the red soup doesn’t stand out and is less appealing to me. Love the simplicity and the focus on the soup of the first one!
Love your blog too!
Thanks,
Sky
Made this just today, and OMG!! Added some jalenpenos and coriander (cilantro) and it was so so good. Such an easy, tasty, healthy meal. Love it!
Thanks.
Some great ideas.
Just made this on hot hot summer day. YUMMMM hit the spot!! I used rice vinegar bc I had no red wine, and add a little extra garlic. YUM! Thank you so much for all the inspiration!
Those sound like great subs, Sara! Thanks for sharing. :)
Hey Angela!
Do you think I can sub balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar? I don’t have any of the latter and I don’t know if I want to buy a big bottle of it just for the recipe. :)
Thanks!
Hi Tijana, That’s totally fair! I do think balsamic vinegar would work as a substitution for the red wine vinegar—in fact, I believe a few readers have made that swap and enjoyed the results! As balsamic vinegar has a slightly sweeter flavour than red wine vinegar, you may notice a new twist to the gazpacho’s taste. But I can’t see why that twist wouldn’t be a delicious one! I’d suggest adding just 1 1/2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to start, and then tasting the gazpacho before adding more.
Best gazpacho ever. However, I used what I had on hand.Here are my substitutions. Instead of vegetable cocktail or tomato juice, I used freshly pureed tomatoes. Instead of lime juice, I used fresh lemon juice. In place of red pepper flakes, I used half of a small cayenne pepper. I substituted 1 T pomegranate and 1 T balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar. I omitted the black pepper. It was yummy and enjoyed by friends who wanted the recipe. All ingredients were fresh from the farm. It is important to get vine ripened tomatoes which are much sweeter.
Thanks so much for sharing, Edie!
Thanks for the recipe! About how much protein is there in one serving of this? Also when I made it I found there were chunks of garlic which made the dish seem too have too much of it. Is it normal to have chunks of garlic or did I not prep them right?
Hey Kelly, No problem…thank you for trying it! I’m not sure offhand how much protein is in the recipe, but you can find an approximate nutrition breakdown here: http://cdn.ohsheglows.com/docs/OhSheGlows_Every_Day_Nutrition_Info.pdf. As to your second question, there shouldn’t be chunks of garlic, so my guess is that it’s your blender, or maybe the gazpacho needed to be blended a bit longer? Another idea, is to mince the garlic very finely beforehand (a microplane is wonderful here), and then add it into the blender. That way, you’d be sure not to have any BIG chunks. I hope this helps!
Hi,
How long does this soup keep for ?
I was hoping to bring it for lunch this week – would it keep in the fridge for 3-4 days?
Hi Isabel, it should keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. :) Enjoy!