🍅😋 Tomato season is in full swing! Grandma Sita’s homegrown ripe tomatoes are bright red, juicy, and naturally sweet. All varieties are welcome in her kitchen when it comes to making fresh gazpacho — a refreshing cold soup made with raw vegetables, usually with ripe tomatoes as the base. It’s also a delicious way to use up any stale bread you have left over.
There’s no summer without a bowl of yummy homemade gazpacho!
📗 Gazpacho is a cold soup made with raw vegetables, usually with a tomato base. It originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía and is widely enjoyed throughout Spain, particularly during the summer months.
➡️ Ask ten Spaniards for the standard gazpacho recipe, and you’ll probably get ten different answers! That’s because there is no single standard recipe. Every Spanish family adjusts and tweaks it according to their own taste — a little more of this, a little less of that. That’s the beauty of homemade gazpacho!
- INGREDIENTS
1kg ripe red tomatoes
1 small cucumber
1 medium bell pepper
1 garlic clove
1/2 small red onion
150g stale bread
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- METHOD
1. Cut the stale bread into thick slices and place them in a bowl. Cover with water and leave to soak for a few minutes. Drain the soaked bread well and set aside.
2. Wash the vegetables thoroughly. Chop the cucumber, onion, tomatoes, and bell pepper into chunks.
3. Add all the ingredients to a blender, along with the extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar.
4.Blend until the gazpacho reaches your desired consistency — smooth and velvety, or with a little texture if you prefer.
5. Taste and season with salt and/or pepper as needed.
6. Pour into a sealed container and refrigerate until completely chilled, for approximately 3–4 hours.
7. Serve cold as it is, or top with your favourite garnishes.
🧓🏻❤️ Grandma Sita’s tips:
- Optional garnishes: homemade croutons, chopped fresh herbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or any leftover chopped gazpacho ingredients.
- Don’t throw away leftover bread! Stale bread is perfect for making gazpacho. Soaking it softens the bread and gives this cold vegetable soup a wonderfully smooth and creamy texture. It’s a delicious way to turn yesterday’s bread and ripe summer vegetables into something fresh and tasty.
- Got extra gazpacho? Transfer it to a sealed food container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
♻️ Cook with what you have! Cold plant-based soups like gazpacho are a delicious way to make the most of seasonal, ripe vegetables and leftover bread while reducing food waste. All of us can do our bit at home, and every little action counts. This summer, make soup, not waste!
Choose local and seasonal fruit and vegetables whenever you can. Eating with the seasons can help reduce food waste, save resources, support healthy eating habits, and boost the local economy. And when your tomatoes are perfectly ripe and your bread has gone a little stale, you know it’s time for a delicious bowl of homemade gazpacho!