Spanish gazpacho (gaspacho) is the perfect summertime soup. Made from fresh, raw vegetables and served cold, it won’t heat up the kitchen – or the people eating it. It's no-cook and easy to make. As a bonus, it’s also filling and low-fat. And this version, rich with raw garlic, keeps away vampires.
Some gazpacho soup recipes are laden with too many herbs – cumin, basil, oregano, even chili powder – that overshadow the fresh veggies and make for gazpacho that tastes like salsa. Fresh garlic and vegetables are the stars of this garlicky soup, which is otherwise only mildly seasoned. But don’t let that be a deterrent to adding hot sauce, sour cream or chives to garnish.
Use Only Fresh In-Season Vegetables for Gazpacho Recipes
In a soup made entirely of fresh produce and tomato juice, it’s important to only use the freshest in-season produce. Don’t make gazpacho soup in the winter! Gazpacho is the perfect way to use backyard produce from the garden.
Gazpacho Variations
- Make tropical gazpacho using pineapple chunks. Garnish with fresh avocado slices. (There’s a great Tropical Gazpacho recipe in Moosewood’s Low-Fat Favorites cookbook).
- Substitute roasted red peppers for the green bell pepper.
- Add a touch of chipotle sauce for a smoky gazpacho soup.
- Substitute fresh lemon juice for the balsamic vinegar.
Gazpacho for Special Diets
Without garnishes, this gazpacho soup recipe is:
- Low-fat
- Vegan and vegetarian
- Relatively low in carbohydrates
Garlicky Summer Gazpacho Soup Recipe
Makes 6 servings.
Preparation time: 30 minutes (no cooking time required)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups tomato juice
- ½ English cucumber (or field cucumber with the seeds removed)
- 1 large stalk celery
- ½ red onion
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 ripe red tomatoes
- ½-1 fresh jalapeno pepper
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 tsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (look for a brand with no anchovies)
- 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Roughly chop the English cucumber, celery, red onion, and tomatoes into uniform sized pieces and place into a food processor. (Work in batches if necessary.)
- Mince the garlic and jalapeno pepper and add them to the processor.
- Whirl in the food processor until vegetables are very small.
- Add the tomato juice and puree until slightly textured. Add the vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Blend. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve garlicky summer Gazpacho cold – not at room temperature – garnished with hot sauce, sour cream and chives. Dip in fresh homemade croutons or artisanal bread.
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