A cold Andalusian soup of raw blended tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, garlic, and olive oil — peasant food turned summer staple.
Older than tomatoes
Gazpacho’s name and form predate the tomato’s arrival from the Americas in the 16th century. The original was a peasant soup of stale bread, garlic, vinegar, water, and olive oil — a way to survive Andalusian summers and use up bread that had gone hard. Tomatoes and peppers (also New World imports) were folded in by the 19th century, producing the bright red soup we know now.
Family of cold soups
- Salmorejo — thicker than gazpacho, almost a dip; just tomato, bread, oil, garlic, salt, often topped with hard-boiled egg and jamón.
- Ajoblanco — white gazpacho, with almonds and bread instead of tomato; older than the red version.
- Pipirrana — chunky vegetable salad rather than a soup, but the same ingredient family.
The technique
Real gazpacho is fully blended and strained, not chunky. Top quality requires summer-peak tomatoes; out-of-season tomatoes produce a thin, sour soup. Most cooks chill the soup at least 4 hours so the flavors meld.
Find more foods by letter
Gazpacho starts with G and ends with O. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Gazpacho":