Summer Gazpacho Recipes

You can make gazpacho with beets, watermelon, avocado, etc. Any vegetable or fruit is welcome in this traditional Spanish dish!

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish soup that’s typically on the menu during the summer months. It can vary in color depending on the ingredients. In our post today, we have some recipes to share with you that you’ll love.

Gazpacho has been around for centuries in the Spanish countryside. The traditional recipe used torn-up bread, olive oil, and vinegar.

Its origins trace back to times when Spain was under Islamic rule. Since then, gazpacho has evolved, giving rise to various variations throughout southern Spain and Portugal. Today, the most popular variation is the Andalusian gazpacho.

Preparing gazpacho

The traditional recipe calls for the following ingredients:

• one pound of tomatoes
• 1/2 a green pepper
• 1/2 a cucumber 
• 1 clove of garlic
• Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
• Vinegar to taste
• Salt to taste

But, you can use this base recipe to prepare all kinds of gazpachos. But how? Try our recommendations:

1. Change the tomato base to something else

Swap half of the tomatoes for a different vegetable. The resulting color of your gazpacho will change according to the color of your ingredient.

You can use green foods such as zucchini, cucumber, honeydew or spinach. Or, you can replace the tomatoes with avocado, apple or asparagus in different quantities. For example, swap 2/3 of the tomatoes with 1/3 of these ingredients.

For something else, you  can also switch the tomatoes for other red foods such as strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, beets or cherries. Similarly, you can use orange foods too such as peaches, mango, pumpkin, carrots or oranges.

2. Personalize your gazpacho

Once you have your base set, you can personalize your gazpacho by adding a little spice or different herbs. For a spicy kick, Tabasco sauce, hot peppers, black pepper or ginger work great. But if you want something more aromatic, try chives, parsley, basil, mint or any other herb.

3. Final touch

Lastly, you can tie your recipe together by adding toppings:

• Chopped raw veggies: red or green bell peppers, onion, cucumber, etc.
• Boiled or poached egg
• Chunks of tuna, mackerel or cod
• Crumbled tofu
• Raw or toasted seeds and nuts
• Fruits, such as grated apple or red berries
• Spouts, cabbage or radishes
• Olives
• Croutons
• Diced Spanish cured ham or cheese

Gazpacho recipe ideas

Tomato might be the main ingredient in gazpacho, but gazpacho comes in all kinds of varieties that are equally as refreshing and nutritious. Check out our recommended recipes!

Andalusian gazpacho without bread

Ingredients

• 2 tomatoes
• 1/3 of a green bell pepper
• 1/3 of a cucumber
• 1/2 a clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon of wine vinegar
• 1 pinch of salt

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Steps:

• Peel the tomatoes. Try scalding (boiling for a few seconds) the tomatoes before to make them easier to peel.
• Blend the tomatoes together with the rest of the ingredients.
• Use ripe tomatoes for a flavorful gazpacho.

Nutritional value

This recipe has:

• 184 cal.
• 9.1 g carbohydrate
• 4 g fiber
• 3 g protein
• 14.2 g total fat

Watermelon gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 tomatoes
• 1/3 of a green bell pepper
• 1 cup of chopped watermelon
• 1/3 of a cucumber
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Steps

• Similar to the above recipe, peel the tomatoes.
• Cut the watermelon and remove the seeds if necessary.
• Blend everything together and you’re finished. You won’t need to add water unless you want a thinner gazpacho.
• Remember to use ripe tomatoes. Barbastro tomatoes or plum tomatoes work wonderfully well for gazpacho recipes.

Nutritional value

• 240.6 cal.
• 21.4 g carbohydrate
• 4.7 fiber
• 4 g. protein
• 14.4 g fat

Beet gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 tomatoes
• 1 ounce of raw or cooked beets
• 1/3 of an onion
• 1/3 of a cucumber
• Garlic to taste
• Olive oil to taste
• White wine vinegar to taste
• 1 pinch of salt
• Cold water

Preparation time: 15 minutes or 50 minutes if you use raw beets.

Steps:

You can use cooked or raw beets. In the case of the latter, you’ll need to boil them first before making the gazpacho. Using already cooked beets will be more convenient.

• If you’re using raw beets, boil them with their leaves in a pot. Boil for approximately 40 minutes until they’re soft. You should be able to easily poke them with a knife.
• Strain, let cool and peel.
• If you’re using cooked beets, skip the first prior steps.
• As the beets are cooling, wash the tomatoes and peel the cucumber, onion, and garlic.
• Now, blend everything together in a food processor and add water until the mixture has the desired consistency.
• Season with salt, olive oil and vinegar.

Nutritional value

This recipe has:

• 198 cal.
• 12 g carbohydrate
• 4.5 g fiber
• 3.4 g protein
• 14.1 g fat

It’s no mystery that gazpacho is an economical recipe that’s easy to prepare and tastes delicious. Which one is your favorite? Try them during the summer!