An easy tomato gazpacho soup recipe with plenty of fresh summer veggies!

It’s our last week of summer before school starts back here. J will be in the 3-year-old preschool class and M is starting kindergarten. I can’t get my head around either of those things.

We’re going to try to live it up these last few days and check off some of our summer bucket list tasks. We may not fit them all in, but we’ve done well!

And a side list to our family summer bucket list is my summer food bucket list. Because of course it’s all about the food 😉

My healthy blueberry cake is a must-make, as are my cheddar chicken burgers and cheesy fiesta grilled chicken for grilling out.

And this is also one of my summer must-haves.

A big bowl of tomato gazpacho soup just screams summertime to me. So fresh and healthy and slurp-able, spoonful after spoonful, this cold summer soup is one of my favorites!

One of the absolute best versions I’ve ever had is from a restaurant called The Mustard Seed near Charleston, S.C., where we go to the beach.

My mom introduced me to their delicious gazpacho years and years ago and I literally cannot go down there now without getting it at least once. I think the record was 4 times in a week. It’s that good.

My mom has even brought back a cup of their gazpacho to me in a cooler in the car. She loves me 😉

The texture, the flavor, it’s crave-worthy. And it was one of the first things that came to mind for this month’s Recipe Redux theme: vacation food.

Not exotic maybe, but I have little ones at home, so we don’t get away that often beyond a little beach trip. So a vacation-inspired recipe had me looking semi local.

Luckily, even when we can’t get away, I’ve got a killer recipe for easy gazpacho to make at home.

My mom’s neighbor passed along this recipe years ago and it’s the closest I’ve ever had to my beach restaurant spot.  

And the best part? I make a big batch of this gazpacho and I have enough to eat on for days! No additional orders necessary – it’s all mine and right there in my fridge.

Plus, it takes just 15 minutes to make (plus a couple of hours to chill in the fridge so all the flavors marry together).

Here are a few notes on this gazpacho soup: 

• I like the texture and taste of having some of the fresh chopped veggies reserved and mixed into the soup before serving. If you want it completely pureed, feel free to blend everything.
• Similarly, chop the vegetables to your desired consistency. You can do a rough chop for a more chunky, rustic soup or a fine chop for a more elegant feel.
• Peeled tomatoes really help with the texture and consistency of the gazpacho. I just cut the tomatoes in quarters and use a pairing knife to peel back the outer skin from one end to the other.
• Local summer heirloom tomatoes of course are wonderful in this soup, but it’s delicious with regular vine-ripe red tomatoes as well.
• I prefer to take out some of the inner seeds of the cucumber for the half that’s chopped and mixed into the soup whole.
• Want it spicy? Add a jalapeño to the blender for some heat.
• Want it a little creamy? Serve with a dollop of marscapone cheese or creme fraiche for an elegant topping.

Other toppings and pairing ideas include grilled shrimp — that’s one option at the Charleston restaurant. I never get it that way, but it could be fun to serve this for a party in shooter or martini glasses with a grilled or steamed shrimp hanging on the side.

You can also serve it with croutons or toasted bread slices. Great for dipping!

And since regular hot tomato soup goes well with grilled cheese, I like to pair cold gazpacho with a grilled cheese or panini sandwich for an easy and complete summer meal. Or with the recipe I’m bringing you on Wednesday. Stay tuned!

Here’s to vacation at home, especially in the waning days of summer.

Enjoy! (And be sure to check out the other Recipe Redux posts below.)

~ Kathryn

Easy tomato gazpacho

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Preparation 15 minutes Total Time 0:15

Serves 6-8 servings     adjust servings

An easy tomato gazpacho soup recipe with plenty of fresh summer veggies!

Ingredients

• 2 large tomatoes, peeled
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and quartered (I use green)
• 24 oz. tomato juice, divided
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• a few dashes of hot sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Blend 1 tomato, 1/2 of the cucumber, 1/2 of the onion, 1/4 of the bell pepper and 1/2 cup of the tomato juice in a blender until smooth.
2. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining tomato juice and the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot sauce.
3. Cover and chill for 2 or more hours in the refrigerator.
4. Dice the remaining veggies and refrigerate separate from the soup.
5. Stir in garlic and chopped veggies before serving. Sprinkle with chives and serve cold.
6. Leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

Heirloom tomatoes, if available, are great in this soup. But regular vine ripe tomatoes work really well too.
To peel the tomatoes, I just cut each one in quarters and use a pairing knife to peel back the outer skin from one end to the other.
Want it spicy? Add a jalapeño with the veggies in the blender for some heat.
Want it a little creamy? Serve with a dollop of marscapone cheese or creme fraiche.
Other toppings include grilled or steamed shrimp, croutons or toasted bread slices. This soup also pairs great with grilled cheese or a panini sandwich for a complete meal.

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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 136kcal Calories from fat 86
% Daily Value
Total Fat 10g	15%
Saturated Fat 1g	5%
Sodium 674mg	28%
Carbohydrate 12g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Sugars 7g
Protein 2g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g