This Vitamix gazpacho is the easiest and tastiest way to use up summer's tomato bounty. Blender gazpacho recipes are so quick to make, with 5 minutes of hands-on time. And they are perfect for hot days when turning on the stove is just too much.
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Gazpacho is a cold soup made from all the best summer produce. Perfect for serving as a light lunch or brunch side dish. Or as a dinner on a hot summer day. Make yourself a bowl, grab a cold blueberry tea, and enjoy!
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📖Why This Recipe Works
In Spain, authentic gazpacho is made with bread. Our gazpacho recipe is made without bread making it gluten-free. Like all our gluten-free soup recipes, we have a trick to getting the perfect texture.
Our Vitamix gazpacho recipe uses the power of a high-speed blender to puree the vegetables while adding volume and texture to the soup. And because we are using a high-power blender we don't need to peel and seed the tomatoes!
And while the soup itself is creamy, yet still dairy-free, we add back chopped vegetables to make this gazpacho soup chunky. Truly the best of both worlds.
🧾Gazpacho Ingredients
Fresh tomatoes are the key to this recipe. Canned tomatoes are a definite no-no in traditional gazpacho recipes. I recommend using fresh heirloom tomatoes.
You can use any variety of tomatoes; they just have to be ripe and in season. But I like to use large beefy-sized tomatoes for the puree and cherry tomatoes for the chopped salad we add to the top.
You will also need:
Tomato Juice- This recipe already has almost 3 pounds of tomatoes. You could substitute 1 pound of sauce tomatoes, like Romas, or paste tomatoes.
Cucumber- I prefer to use English or Persian cucumbers because the seeds are smaller. You can use a regular garden variety cucumber, just remove the seeds.
Bell Pepper- I use yellow peppers because the color pops against red and green. You can use any color, but I typically avoid green peppers when serving to a group. I like green peppers, but many people find the flavor too astringent.
Red Onion- You can also use spring onions.
Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar- Any vinegar can be used but I like wine-based ones for a traditional flavor.
Basil- Again a classic choice but feel to change it up with other fresh herbs like parsley or oregano. The keep is to keep it fresh, there are no dried herbs in our garden soup.
Lemon Juice
Worcestershire Sauce- This is one of my favorite little tricks to a unique flavor, but it is optional and should be removed to keep the soup vegetarian.
Hot Sauce- Just a dash or use a hot pepper from your garden.
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Make Blender Gazpacho
The recipe itself takes only 5 to 10 minutes. The hardest part is the waiting. Gazpacho needs to rest before serving. No exceptions.
Step 1- Blend
Add the peeled tomatoes, strained juice, and an additional 1 cup of tomato juice to the blender. Peel and roughly chop half the cucumber, roughly chop half the pepper, and add both to the blender. A few pulses will help break things up before adding the remaining ingredients.
Add the fresh garlic cloves, basil leaves, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, and the hot sauce to the blender. Puree on high until smooth. About 1 minute.
Step 2- Chill
Gazpacho should be chilled for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld. The raw garlic will be sharp and allowing it to sit will sweeten the flavor. After the soup has chilled taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3- Garnish and Serve
Chop the red onion and mix with the remaining chopped tomatoes, pepper, and cucumber. You want small bite-size pieces, except for the onion which is best finely chopped.
To serve, add the soup to a bowl. Top with a scoop of the chopped salad, a drizzle of olive oil, and a chiffonade of fresh basil.
🥗What to Serve with Gazpacho
To keep this recipe gluten-free I recommend serving it with our gluten-free flatbreads or our gluten-free garlic bread. It also makes a nice pairing with our veggie sandwich or wagyu burgers.
How to Peel and Seed Tomatoes
First off, we are not cooking the tomatoes. A quick blanch of the tomato and dropping them into ice water is the fastest way to peel them with the least amount of mess. Remember to set aside a ½ pound of tomatoes for the salad. We are not peeling these.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. I do this in a medium sauce and work in batches. Much easier than lugging out a stockpot.
Flip the tomatoes over and draw an X with a paring knife. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30 seconds then use a long-handled spoon to move them to an ice bath (i.e. a bowl with water and ice). Once cooled, peel off the skin.
Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the core. Cut each half into segments and remove the seeds pushing the seeds and their juices out with your thumb. Place seeds and juices into a sieve to strain.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- The color of tomatoes changes the color of the soup. play around with using all yellow or all orange tomatoes.
- For a thicker, yet dairy-free soup, add a ½ cup of cashews that were soaked in water for 4 hours.
- Drizzle with a little heavy cream for a beautiful presentation.
💭 Variations
To make this recipe vegetarian you need to omit the Worcestershire sauce.
For a spicy and smoky gazpacho add one diced jalapenos, with the seeds and veins removed, and 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika.
To make this recipe the main course try topping with grilled shrimp.
🔪Equipment
This is a Vitamix blender recipe, so obviously, a blender is required. I use a Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series blender. It is a mid price Vitamix, but I think it is perfect for what I need as a home cook.
Admittedly Vitamix blenders are more expensive, and for good reason. However, if that is not in your budget I recommend this entry-level Breville blender. We had one for years but it did eventually break. But I was using it DAILY for 3 years.
If you use a standard blender you will need to peel and seed the tomatoes. See above for instructions.
🌡️Storage
Gazpacho soup can be stored for 4-5 days in the refrigerator if it is kept in an airtight container. The chunky pieces will turn a little soggy by the second day. I recommend storing the chunky salad in a separate container and assembling the an hour before serving.
The smooth part of the gazpacho soup can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and make the salad before serving.
More Summer Produce Recipes
💬Frequently Asked Questions
Smooth gazpachos can be frozen in an airtight container, with plenty of headspace, for up to 3 months. It is not recommended to freeze chunky gazpacho soups.
For this recipe, you can freeze the smooth puree and add the salad when serving.
For most gazpacho recipes the tomatoes need to be peeled and seeded. If you use a high-speed blender like a Vitamix the tomatoes do not need to be peeled.
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📖 Recipe
Vitamix Gazpacho
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes divided
- 1 cup tomato juice
- 1 English cucumber divided
- 1 yellow bell pepper divided
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and seed 2 pounds of tomatoes. Finely chop the remaining ½ pound and place in a small mixing bowl. Place tomatoes in a Vitamix with the tomato juice.2 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes, 1 cup tomato juice
- Peel the cucumber and cut in half. Roughly chop one half and place in the blender with the tomato. Finely dice the other half and add to the diced tomatoes. Cut the pepper in half, roughly chop one half and place in the blender. Finely dice the other half and add to the tomato salad. Add the onion to the salad and refrigerate.1 English cucumber, 1 yellow bell pepper, ¼ cup red onion
- Add garlic, basil, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce to the blender. Puree until smooth. Chill for two hours.2 cloves garlic, 6 fresh basil leaves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the salad to the soup and garnish with extra basil and a drizzle of olive oil.salt and pepper
Video
Notes
- To peel the fresh tomatoes, cut a small 'X' in the bottom of the tomatoes and drop them into boiling water. Cook 30 seconds and plunge into ice water. Peel skins and discard. Cut tomatoes in half and remove the seeds.
- If storing for more than the 2 hours keep the salad separate from the puree to prevent the soup from becoming watery.
- Worcestershire sauce is a fermented fish sauce and is not suitable for vegetarians. Please omit for vegans and vegetarians.
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