Welcome to a delightful journey to the heart of Andalusia with a creative twist! Gazpacho, the iconic Spanish cold soup, is a celebration of summer's bounty, designed to refresh and nourish on the hottest of days. While traditionally made with the freshest sun-ripened tomatoes, this recipe offers a clever adaptation, ensuring you can enjoy the vibrant taste of summer anytime. We'll be using high-quality canned tomatoes and even frozen cucumbers for an instantly chilled, perfectly smooth soup. Get ready to blend up a bowl of sunshine!
Gazpacho, cold tomato soup
Ingredients for Cold Tomato Gazpacho Soup
- 200 g chopped canned tomatoes in their own juice
- 200 ml tomato juice
- 100 g fresh cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon adzhika (a spicy paste from the Caucasus region) from chili peppers
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tablespoon smetana (a type of sour cream common in Eastern Europe) or thick yogurt
- 1 slice of stale white bread
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- green onions and sweet paprika for serving
How to Make Cold Tomato Gazpacho Soup
I decided to experiment and made gazpacho from chopped canned tomatoes in their own juice.
To the tomatoes, we add finely chopped fresh cucumbers and a minced garlic clove.
Add sea salt to taste and adzhika made from hot chili peppers.
How lucky the Spanish are to have fresh, delicious tomatoes all year round. In our climate, their taste can be underwhelming in the warm spring and early summer. I decided to experiment and made gazpacho from chopped canned tomatoes in their own juice, which I stock up on for the winter. All the aromas of summer were preserved!
To the tomatoes, add finely chopped fresh cucumbers and a minced garlic clove. By the way, the cucumbers are also homegrown; I froze the last harvest in late summer. A handy tip: if you use frozen cucumbers, the soup is instantly chilled and won’t need extra cooling before serving.
Add sea salt to your taste and some adzhika (a spicy paste from the Caucasus region) made from hot chili peppers. I love the spicy kick that chili provides. But if a fiery soup isn’t to your liking, add half a red bell pepper for aroma instead.
I decided to skip the water and added tomato juice instead.
Smetana or yogurt is an unusual ingredient for gazpacho.
Crumble a slice of stale white bread finely and add it to the other ingredients.
In traditional gazpacho, stale bread is soaked in water. I decided to skip the water and used tomato juice instead. A brilliant idea!
Smetana (a type of sour cream common in Eastern Europe) or yogurt is an unusual ingredient for gazpacho. It reminded me of my childhood and student years when tomato juice with smetana was a favorite snack. I decided to take a trip down memory lane and added a heaping tablespoon of smetana to the soup!
A slice of stale white bread is crumbled finely and added to the other ingredients. Pour in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Blend everything together until it reaches a creamy consistency. The result is a thick, smoothie-like soup. It should be kept in the refrigerator until serving.
Serve cold; you can garnish the soup with toasted bread and a boiled egg.
Pour the chilled gazpacho into a clay or porcelain bowl. Sprinkle with finely chopped green onions and ground sweet paprika. Serve cold. You can also serve the soup with toasted bread and a boiled egg. A slice of ham wouldn’t be out of place either.
And there you have it – a wonderfully refreshing and flavorful Gazpacho that's both a nod to tradition and a testament to creative cooking. The beauty of this soup lies in its versatility. Feel free to garnish with crunchy croutons, a drizzle of your best olive oil, or some finely diced vegetables for extra texture. It's the perfect light lunch, elegant appetizer, or healthy snack. We hope this recipe inspires you to stay cool and enjoy the simple, delicious flavors of this Spanish classic. ¡Buen provecho!
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