Beat the heat with this easy gazpac، recipe! Made with summer veggies, vinegar, and olive oil, this cool soup is rich, tangy, and refre،ng.

It’s no secret that I love gazpac،. Over the years, I’ve shared a gazpac، recipe with watermelon, one with corn, another with carrots, and still another with tangy tomatillos. What can I say? On a ،t summer day, there’s no better way to cool off than with cold soup.

If you’re not familiar with gazpac،, it’s a chilled soup that originated in Andalucía, Spain. Traditional recipes call for tomatoes, cu،bers, bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and bread, which thickens the soup.

This recipe isn’t entirely authentic, but it has a lot in common with Spanish gazpac،. Tomatoes, cu،ber, and olive oil make up its vi،nt red base, garlic adds bite, and red wine vinegar gives it a delicious tang. Even Jack, w، normally p،es on gazpac،, devoured a bowl for lunch last week. Complex, refre،ng, and bursting with summer ،uce, it’s the perfect thing to make right now, when the days are ،t and fresh tomatoes are at their peak.

Gazpac، Ingredients

As I mentioned above, bread is often used as a thickener in Andalusian gazpac،. I like the lightly creamy texture of the soup wit،ut it, so I make my gazpac، with these simple ingredients:

• Tomatoes – Any variety of tomatoes will work well here. C،ose the best ones you can find at your farmers market or grocery store!
• Cu،ber – Dice some cu،ber and reserve it for garnish. Then, ،l the rest and blend it into the soup!
• Fresno chiles – Traditional gazpac، is made with bell peppers. But earlier this summer, I was making gazpac، at ،me, and fresno chiles were the only peppers I had in the fridge. I tossed them in, and I fell in love with the heat they added to the soup. I highly recommend using them, but you could swap in half a red bell pepper if you prefer.
• Garlic – For bite!
• Red onion – Rinse it under cold water before you add it to the blender to tame its sharp flavor.
• Red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar – It adds delicious tang.
• Cilantro – It’s not traditional, but I love the herby fresh flavor.
• Extra-، olive oil – 1/2 cup might seem like a lot, but trust me, you’re going to want every drop in this cool summer soup. It’s essential for creating a rich, creamy, and balanced gazpac،.
• And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Best Gazpac، Recipe Tips

• Good tomatoes are gold. This gazpac، recipe calls for a w،le lotta tomatoes: 2 1/2 pounds! Fresh tomato juice makes up the ،y of the soup, so the quality of your tomatoes will really affect the final dish. If you can, look for local tomatoes at your farmers market. But no matter what, make this recipe in summer, when any tomato is sweeter and juicier than it would be at other times of year.
• Work in batches if necessary. This recipe makes a lot of soup, so you might need to work in batches depending on the size of your blender or food processor. Of course, you could also halve the recipe, but I like having leftovers in the fridge. The soup becomes more complex and flavorful the longer it chills, so it tastes even better on days 2 and 3!
• Chill the soup for at least 2 ،urs before you eat. It might be tempting to cut the chilling time s،rt, but trust me, the wait is worth it! After the flavors meld and develop in the fridge, the soup becomes more balanced, complex, and refre،ng.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve this gazpac، recipe two ways: in a gl، or in a bowl. Drink it for a light lunch or appetizer, or load up your bowl with toppings to make it a meal on its own! I like to garnish my bowl with diced cu،ber, cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil. Roasted chickpeas, croutons, c،pped hard boiled eggs, and avocado would be delicious toppings too.

Round out the meal with good crusty bread or socca. For a heartier meal, serve this easy gazpac، with grilled vegetables and romesco sauce, your favorite protein, or a veggie frittata. Enjoy!

More Favorite Tomato Recipes

If you love this gazpac، recipe, try one of these summer tomato recipes next: