Gazpacho

BY KILIAN RÜCKRIEGEL

Introduction

Gazpacho is a cold, raw, blended vegetable soup that requires zero cooking and tastes extraordinary when made with ripe summer tomatoes. It is healthy, inexpensive and refreshing. The secret is quality tomatoes and the patience to chill it properly before serving.  Gazpacho originates from Andalucía in southern Spain, where summers are extremely hot.

Hi, I’m Kilian

I am 18 and the recipe developer and cook behind this website. I have been cooking since I was young. My recipes are influenced by my family heritage (American and German), studying abroad in Spain, traveling to other countries, and my community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I have also done research, volunteered, and advocated to end food insecurity in New York City for years. This site was initially inspired to provide affordable and easy-to-make recipes for families who struggle to feed their families quality delicious meals.
Enjoy! Aprovecha!

Affordable Easy Vegetarian Vegan Gluten Free

PREP TIME: 20 mins
COOK TIME: 0 mins
COOLING TIME: 4 hours-overnight

METHOD

1. Blend the vegetables: Place 6-8 very ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped, 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped (reserve a small piece for garnish), 1 red or green bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped, 2 garlic cloves and 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped in a blender. The longer you blend the ingredients the smoother the soup. You can blend a lot or a little - it is up to you.

2. Add olive oil and seasoning: With the blender running on low, slowly pour in 4 tablespoons  of extra-virgin olive oil in a thin steady stream. This creates a smoother, richer texture. Add 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar), 1 teaspoon of salt (according to your taste) and 1/2 teaspoons of freshly cracked black pepper (according to your taste). Blend for a further 30 seconds. Taste — it should be bright, garlicky and slightly sweet from the tomatoes. Adjust salt and vinegar to your taste.

3. Strain (optional): If you want a very smooth, restaurant-style gazpacho, pour through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or jug, pressing the pulp with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. For a rustic version, skip this step. 

4. Chill: Cover the bowl, jug or blender tightly with cling film or a lid and refrigerate for a minimum of 4  hours, but ideally overnight. The flavor deepens and improves as it chills. Do not serve gazpacho that has not been chilled.

5. Serve ice cold: Pour into chilled bowls. Finish each bowl with a generous drizzle of ½-1 tablespoon tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to finish, a few small dice of reserved cucumber, or fresh thyme or other herbs, and a crack of black pepper and salt. Serve immediately while ice cold. Excellent with crusty bread. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days — stir well before serving as it may separate slightly.

INGREDIENTS

Servings 4-6

• 6-8 large very ripe tomatoes (roma ideal), roughly chopped

• 1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped (reserve a small piece for garnish)

• 1 red or green bell pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

• 2 garlic cloves

• ½  small red onion, roughly chopped

• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to add to mixture and to finish

• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

• 1 teaspoons salt (to taste)

• 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

• thyme, oregano or other herbs (optional)

TIPS

Use the ripest, most fragrant tomatoes you can find. In summer, roma  tomatoes are ideal. In winter, cherry tomatoes on the vine often have more flavour than large ones. Do not use tomatoes straight from the fridge — they should be room temperature or the flavour will be flat.

Blender vs food processor — a high-speed blender produces the smoothest result. A regular blender works well but may need longer blending. A food processor produces a chunkier result which some people prefer. 

Gazpacho can be frozen and consumed weeks and or even months later after being prepared.

If you make this dish, please tag me on Instagram. I will enjoy seeing what you create and how you adapt my recipes.

Copyright 2026, Kilian Ruckriegel