Summer’s Best: Spanish Gazpacho
On sun-drenched Spanish afternoons, nothing refreshes quite like Gazpacho, an inviguorating cold soup that captures the essence of Mediterranean summer in every spoonful. This vibrant recipe transforms ripe, juicy tomatoes into a velvety base, while cucumber and bell pepper add garden-fresh crunch and subtle sweetness. The addition of garlic, chillies, and hot sauce creates a bold heat that’s perfectly tempered by the richness of olive oil and the tang of white wine vinegar and lemon juice. Traditional stale bread, a signature ingredient dating back to ancient Roman times, thickens the soup while adding a subtle body that carries all these bright flavors. Whether served in chilled bowls as a starter or sipped from glasses as a cooling midday refreshment, this no-cook soup delivers both nourishment and respite from summer’s warmest days.
- Serves: 4
- Serving size: 300 g
- Calories: 198
- Fat: 14 grams
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated fat: 12 g
- Trans fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 692 mg
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Tomatoes – 6 large
- Bell Pepper – one medium
- Red chillies – four
- Hot sauce - one tablespoon
- Vegetable stock – ¼ of a cup
- Salt – one teaspoon
- Olive oil – four tablespoons
- Garlic – four cloves ( peeled and finely chopped)
- Sugar – one teaspoon
- White wine vinegar – 2 tablespoons
- Lemon juice – one tablespoon
- Cucumber – one medium ( peeled and sliced)
- Stale white bread – one to two slices
- Bring a large pot of water to the boi. Blanche the tomatoes into the boiling water for 20 seconds. Then immediately drop them into ice-cold water made with ice. Remove and peel off the skins and chop.
- Roast the skin of the pepper over an open flame ( see method ) and remove the skin, seeds and pith. Slice
- Add the tomatoes, bell peppers and the balance of the ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth
- Place the Gazpacho in the refrigerator for a minimum of an hour.
- Serve
Keywords: Spicy Gazpacho