BEST Gazpacho Soup Recipe

This delicious gazpacho is truly the best gazpacho recipe around, or so we’ve been told by our Spanish friends with strong opinions on Spanish food. The process for making this recipe is a little different than most, and the payoff is in how great it tastes. It’s fresh, bright, refreshing, and creamy. You’ll LOVE it!

I was given a version of this gazpacho recipe many years ago, and I haven’t made another one since. The key is the technique: salting and freezing the vegetables before blending breaks them down and draws out every bit of their flavor, making the soup incredibly vibrant and smooth.

The recipe is based on J. Kenji López-Alt’s version, with a few small tweaks. Instead of soaking white bread in the vegetable juices to create a creamy texture, I skip the bread altogether and use high-quality extra-virgin olive oil instead. I’ve taste-tested both versions side by side—the bread-free version tastes fresher and brighter!

I’ll often eat the gazpacho as it is, with a drizzle of extra olive oil on top. But if I’m serving this to guests or treating myself, the fried halloumi included in the recipe card is the absolute way to go.

What to Serve with Gazpacho

Gazpacho is best served with other recipes that require little cooking or are cooked on the grill. Here are a few of our favorite summertime recipes that go excellently with this chilled soup:

• Chili Lime Shrimp
• Juicy Grilled Pork Chops
• Grilled Garlic Butter Mushrooms
• Summer Tomato and Grilled Corn Salad

Make Ahead and Freeze

• Can I make gazpacho ahead of time? Yes! Gazpacho is a great make-ahead recipe. It keeps well for up to 3 days in your fridge. We store ours in mason jars and give the jars a good shake to remix the soup before pouring a bowl.
• Can you freeze gazpacho? Yes! Gazpacho freezes very well. Store it in your freezer for up to 6 months. I find that the best way to freeze soup is in reusable silicone freezer bags.

Recipe: The Best Gazpacho Soup

Prep time: 1 hr | Freeze time: 30 mins | Total time: 1 hr 30 mins | Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

For the Gazpacho:

• 3 lbs ripe tomatoes (cored and cut into chunks)
• 8 oz English cucumber (about 1, cut into chunks)
• 5 oz red bell pepper (about 1, cut into chunks)
• 5 oz red onion (about ½, cut into chunks)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
• 1 jalapeño pepper (cored, seeded, and cut into chunks)
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (plus more for serving)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp finely minced chives

For the Fried Halloumi:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz halloumi cheese (cut into large cubes)

Instructions

1. Extract the Juices: Put the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and jalapeño into a large bowl. Toss the veggies with the salt then let them sit on your counter for 45 minutes. This step releases the liquid from the vegetables.
2. Freeze the Veggies: Separate the vegetables from the liquid, reserving the liquid in a container. Place the vegetables on a parchment paper-lined tray and place them into your freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until they are partially frozen. (This step may take longer depending on your freezer).
3. Thaw: Remove the tray from the freezer and let the vegetables thaw completely.
4. Blend: Combine the thawed veggies, any juice that accumulated on the tray, the reserved juice, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper into your blender. (If you have a smaller blender, combine everything into a large bowl then work in batches). Blend on high speed until completely smooth and creamy. Serve immediately or chill for up to 3 days.
5. Fry the Halloumi: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the cubed halloumi and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Once it’s golden on the bottom, turn the pieces over and cook for 2 minutes more.
6. Serve: Serve the gazpacho chilled, topped with the warm fried halloumi, a drizzle of extra olive oil, a sprinkle of chives, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes: You can make this up to Step 2 well in advance. Just allow more time for the veggies to thaw as they will be quite frozen. Also, if you are going to freeze this for more than a day, you will want to freeze the extracted juice separately.

Nutrition Information (Per Serving)

• Calories: 453 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 11g
• Protein: 8g
• Fat: 43g
• Sodium: 933mg
• Fiber: 3g

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