Chunky Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho - Authentic Gazpacho Recipe

This milder, easier, lightly cooked and chunky gazpacho may be a bit different than the better-known cold blended soup, but I assure you that this tomato and cucumber gazpacho is an authentic gazpacho recipe too. It retains the qualities of the better-known version while making it more palatable and digestible.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Preparation

Why I ❤️ it

You may have tried great gazpacho on your trip to Spain, or at a restaurant, or you may have been served an easy gazpacho that tasted like garlicky tomato juice. Let me assure you that there are many ways to make gazpacho, from the more famous Andalusian gazpacho to some lesser-known ones. Some authentic Spanish gazpacho may even include things like almonds and grapes. There is not just one traditional Spanish gazpacho.

This is an unblended, lightly-cooked chunky tomato and cucumber gazpacho: a marvelous fresh tomatoes cold soup thickened with stale bread, minced red bell pepper, cucumber, and a drizzle of olive oil to finish. It is the perfect starter on a hot summer day, and tastes even better when rested and served the next day, so leftovers won't go to waste. So get some inspiration from my favorite traditional recipe of Spanish cuisine, and make your summer taste like a vacation day in the South of Spain.

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Utensils and tools

• Medium size pot

Ingredients

• 4 of tablespoons olive oil
• 2 of small red onion, minced finely
• 6 of small garlic cloves, or 3 large clove, crushed
• 6 cups of minced stale bread
• 9 large ripe roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and minced finely.
• 4 cucumber (small), peeled, seeded, and minced finely.
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar
• 3 cups of white wine, chilled
• 6 cups of very cold water
• 2 teaspoons of salt, (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground), (or to taste)

For garnishing

• ½ cup red bell pepper, or green bell pepper, minced
• ½ cup cucumber, minced
• ¼ cup red onion, minced
• 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Cook

In a 2 qt [2 liters] pot heat the oil over very low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent. This may take about five minutes, and the idea is to tame the taste of both garlic and onion without actually overcooking them.

Stir in the bread crumbs, stirring until all the bread is coated with oil.

Step 2: Add the ingredients

Add the tomato and cucumber and crush over the heat with a potato masher until the soaked bread and tomatoes turn into a coarse paste. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl.

Add vinegar, wine, and iced water. Stir, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Let chill and rest in the fridge for two hours, or overnight.

Step 3: Serving

Serve the chilled soup in equal portion in 6 little bowl.

Garnish the tomato soup with the minced fresh vegetables (bell pepper, cucumber, and onion) and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Variations

If you don't have sherry or red wine vinegar, use sherry vinegar, or some balsamic vinegar. The flavors do change a bit, but not too much.

If you want to make a smooth soup, you can puree it with a hand blender (or food processor) at the highest speed until it turns into a very smooth liquid, instead of crushing it with a potato masher.

For some extra color, you can garnish with some fresh herbs, like green onions or a sprig of parsley. Traditional gazpacho recipe doesn't typically include herbs in it.

Top tips

The crushed ice makes cooling down the soup much faster, while the bread still maintain some of its texture.

Try to use the ripest tomatoes you can find, the color and taste of good gazpacho soup will depend on it.

Good quality, fresh ingredients are a must for this soup. Use your fresh veggies and leave the wilted ones for another meal.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this chunky gazpacho summer soup as a light main dish, with a piece of bread on the side, or as the starter before the main course.

Nutritional information

Calories: 693kcal - Carbohydrates: 98g - Protein: 18g - Fat: 16g - Saturated Fat: 3g - Sodium: 1976mg - Potassium: 1123mg - Fiber: 10g - Sugar: 18g - Vitamin A: 2070IU - Vitamin C: 52.1mg - Calcium: 269mg - Iron: 6.7mg

FAQs

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