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Best Homemade Gazpacho Recipe: Chunky and Smooth Variations Recipe

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4.1 from 5 reviews

This Best Gazpacho Recipe offers both a chunky and smooth version of the classic Spanish cold tomato soup, perfect for a refreshing and healthy meal. Made with ripe tomatoes, fresh vegetables, herbs, and a zesty mix of spices and vinegar, this no-cook dish is served chilled and can be customized with various toppings for added texture and flavor.

Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 1 cup celery, sliced (2 celery stalks, sliced)
  • 2 lb tomatoes (juicy ripe tomatoes: cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, heirlooms or romas)
  • 1 red bell pepper (or sub yellow)
  • 8 ounces cucumbers (3 1/2 cups) – use thin-skinned like English, Persian, Turkish, no need to peel. If using waxy cucumbers with thick skins, peel them.
  • 1/3 cup red onion
  • 2 garlic cloves

Liquids and Oils

  • 1 cup water
  • 2–3 teaspoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Spices and Herbs

  • 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon piment d’espelette (or cayenne or sweet paprika)
  • 1/4 teaspoon coriander
  • 1/2 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (1/4 cup Italian parsley, 1/4 cup basil, or sub mint, cilantro, or dill)

Optional

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste (for sweetness)
  • 1–2 slices of soaked bread (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Celery Juice: Blend celery and water in a blender until smooth, then strain to reserve only the celery juice. Avoid using the pulp as it is not recommended for this recipe.
  2. Chunky Gazpacho – Pulse Vegetables: Roughly chop half of the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, and both garlic cloves. Add these along with the reserved celery juice into the blender and pulse repeatedly until the mixture is uniformly chopped but still chunky. Add tomato paste or soaked bread now if using, and pulse a couple more times.
  3. Chunky Gazpacho – Combine and Season: Finely dice the remaining half of the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and onion. Add these diced vegetables to a large bowl along with the blended mixture. Stir in vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, piment d’espelette, coriander, and chopped fresh herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
  4. Serve Chunky Gazpacho: Chill the soup until ready to serve. Serve cold with a drizzle of olive oil and optional garnishes such as finely chopped cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, avocado, fennel bulb, microgreens, or croutons.
  5. Smooth Gazpacho – Blend All Ingredients: Place all of the tomatoes (halved), cucumbers (chunked), bell pepper (chunked), onion (chunked), garlic, and reserved celery juice into a blender. Blend until smooth.
  6. Smooth Gazpacho – Emulsify: With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil and blend until the mixture is smooth, creamy, glossy, and emulsified.
  7. Smooth Gazpacho – Season and Adjust: Add vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, piment d’espelette, coriander, and tomato paste if additional sweetness is needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  8. Smooth Gazpacho – Add Herbs and Chill: Fold in fresh herbs by pulsing lightly in the blender or stirring them in finely chopped to maintain their color and fresh flavor. Chill until serving.
  9. Serve Smooth Gazpacho: Serve cold with your choice of garnishes like diced cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, avocado, fennel bulb, microgreens, or croutons.

Notes

  • Use thin-skinned cucumbers like English, Persian, or Turkish varieties for the best texture and no need to peel. If using thicker-skinned cucumbers, peel them to avoid bitterness.
  • Soaked bread is optional and helps add sweetness and thickness; soak bread slices in water briefly and squeeze out excess liquid before adding.
  • Adjust vinegar and salt gradually, tasting as you go, to find the perfect balance of tanginess and seasoning.
  • Gazpacho can be garnished creatively with ingredients like avocado, fennel, microgreens, or crunchy croutons for texture contrast.
  • Both chunky and smooth versions are served chilled; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving for best flavor.

Find it online: https://lauracooks.com/best-homemade-gazpacho-recipe-chunky-and-smooth-variations-recipe/