Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs ripe plum tomatoes (or Roma)
- 1 Italian green pepper (medium)
- 1 Spanish cucumber (or ⅕ English cucumber, roughly chopped)
- 3 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar)
- 1 ¾ oz stale bread (sourdough, ciabatta, or baguette, ideally soaked from the day before)
- 1 cup ice cold water
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (optional, avoid if adhering to a WFPB diet)
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt (optional, avoid if adhering to a WFPB diet)
- 2 garlic cloves (green germs removed, roughly chopped, optional)
For Serving
- Bread croutons
- Cucumber (finely chopped)
- Green pepper (finely chopped)
- Pinch black pepper
- Splash extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Soak the bread: Begin by soaking the stale bread in water for about 5 minutes to soften it nicely, making it easier to blend into the soup.
- Prepare the vegetables: Roughly chop the tomatoes, green pepper, and cucumber. If using garlic, remove any green germ and mince the cloves finely.
- Blend the ingredients: Add all the soaked bread, chopped vegetables, garlic, vinegar, salt, olive oil (if using), and ice-cold water into a blender. Blend for approximately two minutes, pausing after one minute if your blender tends to heat up, until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth.
- Strain the soup (optional): If the soup isn’t smooth enough after blending, strain the gazpacho through a colander to achieve a finer texture.
- Chill before serving: Transfer the gazpacho to the fridge and chill for at least one hour. This enhances the flavors and results in a refreshing cold soup.
- Serve with garnishes: Serve the chilled gazpacho topped with crunchy bread croutons, finely chopped cucumber and green pepper, a pinch of black pepper, and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil for added flavor and texture.
Notes
- Soaking the bread helps to soften it, which improves the texture of the soup.
- For a smoother soup, blend thoroughly and strain if necessary.
- The soup tastes best chilled, so allow adequate refrigeration time.
- Olive oil and salt are optional to accommodate different dietary preferences like whole food plant-based diets.
- Use ripe, fresh vegetables for the best flavors.
- Adjust vinegar and seasoning to taste.
- Leftover gazpacho can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegan
