Simple Spicy Gazpacho, an easy vegan cold tomato and cucumber soup that comes together in only 15 minutes. Delicious summer superfood soup!
Craving soup during the summer, when it’s too hot to enjoy traditional warm soup? We’ve got you covered with a bowl of spicy gazpacho! It is an easy and refreshing recipe that is always a crowd pleaser. The perfect cool and refreshing soup for warm weather months!
👉 Here are three reasons why you should be making cold and spicy gazpacho:
- It’s delicious. Featuring the summer’s best fresh vegetables, gazpacho is made from fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, herbs, and spices. We added a cucumber salad garnish to this recipe for an extra boost of freshness and flavor.
- It’s easy. Gazpacho is just about the easiest soup recipe you can make. Simply add vegetables, herbs, and spices to a large soup pot. Blend ingredients together until smooth, and let chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- It’s flexible. You can get creative with this recipe and use different vegetable variations, like leeks, fennels, or spicy peppers. You can also switch up the color by using gold or green tomatoes, or add your own spice combinations.
Ready to learn how to make a delicious and simple summer gazpacho? Let’s do it!
🇪🇸 What is gazpacho + where does it originate?
Gazpacho is a cold raw tomato and vegetable soup that is cool and refreshing, and is typically served in Spain and Portugal in the warm summer months. Traditional gazpacho is a tomato base and includes garlic, onion, vinegar, oil, and salt but can also include cucumber, cream, fruit, and other produce.
Though the Southern Spanish state of Andalusia (which is home to the cities Seville and Grenada) is most typically thought of as the home of modern gazpacho, the basis for the cold soup actually originated in Ancient Rome and was brought to current day Spain.
🍎 Ingredients
Gazpacho is a summer favorite that includes some of the season’s best flavors. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- Tomatoes: The base of this raw soup! We used a combination of roma and strained tomatoes in this recipe.
- Cucumbers: A key ingredient in gazpacho, adds a refreshing layer of flavor.
- Red Onion: We used red onion to add extra sweet and savory notes.
- Parsley, thyme, black pepper, salt: You’ll use parsley, thyme, black pepper, and salt to season this simple gazpacho.
- Lemon juice and balsamic vinegar: Brings more acid and brightens the flavor.
- Bell peppers: You can use red, orange, or yellow bell peppers to bring extra sweetness to the soup.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: We used 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, but you can add more to taste depending on how spicy you want it!
- Recommended tools: Blender (traditional or immersion), large soup pot, knife set
🥣 How to make spicy gazpacho (step-by-step photos)
1️⃣ Step One: Wash and cut vegetables
Start by giving the vegetables a good wash to remove any dirt. Cut the cucumber, roma tomatoes, and red onion into 1/2 inch pieces.
2️⃣ Step Two: Make cucumber salad garnish
Next, put together the cucumber salad garnish, which will be added to the soup during the last step.
Combine 1/2 cup of cut cucumber, 1/2 cup of tomato, 1/4 cup of red onion, 1/4 cup of parsley, 1/8 cup of fresh thyme, 1/2 of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl.
Mix to combine, set aside and store in the fridge until the gazpacho is ready to serve.
3️⃣ Step Three: Blend soup ingredients
When done making the garnish, blend ingredients for the spicy gazpacho.
In a large soup pot, add strained tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes with remaining cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Blend with an immersion blender or, alternatively, blend all ingredients in a traditional blender until smooth.
Give it a taste and adjust spices as needed.
4️⃣ Step Four: Chill the soup in the refrigerator
Once the gazpacho is spiced to your liking, place it in a container and store in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. This will allow it to chill and absorb the delicious flavors.
Once the soup is chilled, serve in bowls or in small drinkable glasses. Add the cucumber garnish and enjoy!
🌿 Gazpacho variations
There are many different variations of traditional Spanish gazpacho, including:
- Arranque roteno: a thicker and creamier version of gazpacho that uses less water and oil, which was essential in times of drought
- Cojondongo: a mixture of vegetables and bread that is served as both light soup and with less liquid as a salad (similar to panzanella), typically made in the Extremadura region of Spain
- Gazpacho Manchego: made in the La Macha region, this gazpacho includes meat and and bread and is served warm
- Gazpacho Castilliano: hailing from the Castilla region, this type of gazpacho is served cold but is chunkier than other versions because it is filled with pieces of fresh vegetables
- Salmorejo: a thick and creamy bread and tomato puree from the Cordoba region of Andalusia, Spain
Many other cultures around the world have cold soups similar to gazpacho such as the bread and tomato soup arjamolho in Portugal, beet and vegetable borscht from Russia and the Ukraine, and the cold or hot tomaattikeitto from Finland.
More modern versions of gazpacho include creative ingredients such as watermelon, avocado, and cucumber (which I used in this recipe).
❓ Recipe questions + quick tips
You do not need to peel tomatoes for gazpacho. The tomatoes will be cut into small pieces and then blended with other veggies and seasonings. We suggest leaving the skins on for the extra fiber that they provide. Note that if you use canned tomatoes, the tomatoes are often already peeled.
Gazpacho originated in Spain and Portugal as a cool and refreshing dish to serve during the warm summer months, which is why it is served cold.
Gazpacho is made from fresh vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers, so it is a very healthy dish. Our simple vegan gazpacho is low in sodium, a good source of fiber, and packed with antioxidants. It is also high in vitamin C and potassium.
👉 How to serve
Spicy gazpacho is delicious on its own, and can be enjoyed as a simple snack or paired with other ingredients to make a meal. Here are some ideas for how to serve it:
- With a side of bread and tapas: This is how Spanish gazpacho is traditionally served!
- Pair with fresh summer fruit and cheese: Gazpacho tastes delicious with a side of seasonal fruit like berries or watermelon. Add a few slices of cheese to the mix for a balanced meal or snack!
- As a traditional warm soup: Although gazpacho is traditionally served cold, this soup can also be heated and served as a traditional warm tomato soup.
🧊 How to store
If you have leftovers after making spicy gazpacho, it is super easy to store. Follow these steps for the best quality:
- Refrigerator storage: Keep the gazpacho in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freezer storage: We love saving gazpacho in the freezer to eat throughout the fall and winter! Simply place it in an airtight container and thaw when you’re ready to eat.
♻️ Sustainable kitchen tips
We love making our recipes as eco-friendly as possible! Here are a few ideas to get the most out of your ingredients:
Make gazpacho during the summer months. This is when the key ingredients (tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers) are in season in most parts of the US. Find out when the ingredients are in season near you here.
Save the veggie scraps. Any scraps you accumulate from prepping the veggies can be saved for food scrap vegetable broth. At the very least, they should be tossed in the compost bin.
🍲 More soup recipes
Craving more simple soup recipes? We’ve got you covered:
- Roasted Tomato Leek Soup
- Vegan Roasted Corn Potato Soup
- Spicy Sweet Potato Carrot Soup
- Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Looking for more recipes with tomatoes? Try Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes, Homemade Bloody Mary Mix, or Caprese Ciabatta Toast.
want to kickstart going plant-based?
Get my meal plan!
Subscribe and I’ll send you my FREE 4-day plant-based meal and prep plan.
Simple Spicy Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber, cut in ½ inch pieces
- 1 roma tomato, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 red onion, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped parsley, split into ¼ cup + ¾ cup
- ¼ cup fresh thyme, split into two 1/8 cup portions
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, split into two 1/8 teaspoon portions
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, split into two 1/8 teaspoon portions
- 1 quart strained tomatoes, I used Pomi brand
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 bell pepper, cut into ½ inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
Instructions
- Make garnish: Combine ½ cup of cut cucumber, tomato, ¼ cup of red onion, ¼ cup of parsley, 1/8 cup of fresh thyme, ½ of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper in a medium bowl. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Make gazpacho: In a large soup pot, add strained tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, bell pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes with remaining cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend with an immersion blender or, alternatively, blend all ingredients in a traditional blender until smooth. Adjust spices to taste and chill for minimum 2 hours.
- To serve: Serve chilled soup with Cucumber Salad Garnish on top and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Recipe notes + tips: Though gazpacho is traditionally served cold, this soup can also be heated and served as a traditional warm tomato soup. Serve this traditional Spanish style with a side of bread and tapas, or make it your own by paring with fresh summer fruit and cheese.
- Leftovers + storage: This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. This is a great soup to freeze and eat throughout the fall and winter.
- Nutrition notes: This simple vegan tomato soup is low in sodium, a good source of fiber, and packed with antioxidants from fresh fruits and vegetables. It is high in vitamin C and potassium.
Nutrition Information
UPDATE: This recipe was originally posted in August 2018 and updated for clarity in September 2021.
Leave a Reply