Tomato Gazpacho
Gazpacho relies on the quality of raw, peak-season produce and the patience to let the mixture rest. By blending ripe tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, and garlic with high-quality olive oil and vinegar, you create a chilled soup that develops complexity as it sits in the refrigerator, allowing the raw aromatics to settle into the tomato base.
Wait for the season.
This soup has nowhere to hide; if your tomatoes are mealy or flavorless, the gazpacho will be too. Start with tomatoes that are heavy for their size and fragrant at the stem.
- High-speed blender
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Large glass bowl
What goes in.
- 3 lbripe plum tomatoes, cored and halved
- 1 largecucumber, peeled and seeded
- 1green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cupday-old crusty sourdough bread, torn into chunks
- 1 smallshallot, peeled
- 1 clovegarlic, germ removed
- 1/2 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbspsherry vinegar
- 1 tspkosher salt
Drizzle the oil like mayonnaise
Once the vegetables are puréed, stream the olive oil into the blender while it runs on low. This turns the tomato water and bread into a velvety, opaque soup rather than a thin, separated juice.
The method.
Combine the solids
Place the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, bread, shallot, and garlic into the blender. Pulse until the mixture is broken down into a coarse, uniform slush.
Season and emulsify
Add the vinegar and salt. Start the blender on its lowest setting and slowly stream in the olive oil until the color shifts from bright red to a pale, creamy orange.
Strain for texture
Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl, using the back of a ladle to press the liquid through. Discard the skins and seeds caught in the mesh.
The long rest
Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours. The flavors need time to marry; the garlic and vinegar will mellow significantly during this period.
Final adjustment
Taste before serving. If it feels flat, add a few drops of sherry vinegar. Serve in chilled bowls.
Other turns to take.
Roasted Garlic
Substitute the raw garlic clove with two cloves of roasted garlic for a deeper, nuttier backbone.
Golden Gazpacho
Use yellow tomatoes and yellow bell peppers for a sweeter, visually striking variation.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Rub the inside of the garlic clove with a little salt on the cutting board before adding it to the blender to draw out its harshness.
Do not skip the bread; it provides the essential body that prevents the soup from feeling like plain vegetable juice.
Chill your serving bowls in the freezer for fifteen minutes before plating to keep the soup cold until the last spoonful.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use a food processor instead of a blender?
You can, but it will not achieve the same silky, emulsified texture as a high-speed blender. You will need to strain it more thoroughly.
Why does the soup taste bitter after I blend it?
The bitterness usually comes from olive oil being blended at too high a speed, which oxidizes it, or from the garlic germ. Always remove the center green germ from the garlic clove before blending.
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