Grilled Gazpacho Recipe

I absolutely love this Grilled Gazpacho Recipe-a fantastic twist on the classic! Vine ripened tomatoes, smooth, smoky, vegetables blended and chilled to perfection. This silky, drinkable gazpacho is the antidote to sweltering summer heat and any cooking doldrums you might encounter.

My original easy gazpacho recipe is a traditional, rustic gazpacho soup recipe, with coarsely blended fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and red bell peppers. But this Grilled Gazpacho Recipe takes things to the next level. My only regret is that I didn’t double the recipe when I made it this week…we want more!

this recipe!

Why will you love this gazpacho recipe?

• It has all the flavors you love about traditional gazpacho- summer tomatoes, fresh veggies, garlic cloves, and extra virgin olive oil, but with a layer of lovely smokiness from the grill.
• It has the perfect balance of fresh and roasted flavors. Whether you use a gas or charcoal fire, grilling the veggies gives this soup a great bass line and a layer of undeniable summer flavor.
• Gazpacho is good for you! This chilled vegetable soup that hails from the south of Spain is loaded with vegetables, vitamins, fiber, and it tastes amazing. Win-win!
• The flavor transports you somewhere else in time and space. One sip and you are walking the cobbled sunny streets of Andalusia. Plus, the cold soup, eaten from a chilled bowl on a hot summer day can’t be beat.

How to make this Grilled Gazpacho Recipe:

I discovered this grilling method of making this delicious soup many years ago and it has become a summer staple. Ideally, you should make it when tomatoes come into season, but sometimes you just can’t wait!

Here’s what you will need:

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe tomatoes (ugly ones are perfect candidates!)
• 1 large cucumber
• ½ red onion
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 red bell pepper (or orange bell pepper)- yellow or green pepper may be used but they will change the color of the soup slightly
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• ¾  teaspoon kosher salt 
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions for making this amazing soup: Prep, Grill, Chill!

Step 1- Prep:

Prepare a charcoal grill to about 450° F or preheat a gas grill to medium high heat.

1. First, peel the cucumber and slice lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a rounded spoon leaving as much flesh as possible. If you’re feeling lazy at the moment, you can leave the cucumber intact and then strain the soup through a sieve after blending to remove the seeds.
2. Next, remove the core from the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds from the cavity. If the tomatoes are ripe, this is an easy task. If they are not ripe (because you can’t wait any longer to make this soup and tomatoes are not quite in season yet 🙂 don’t worry. You can strain out the seeds later. No need to chop the tomatoes.
3. Then slice the onion into thick slices to make them easy to manage on the grill. I like to skewer them with a metal skewer to keep all the rings together.
4. Drizzle the vegetables, including the bell pepper and jalapeño with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Leave the bell pepper and the jalapeño whole for grilling.

Step 2-Grill:

 

3. Next, remove skin from tomatoes and separate pepper flesh from the seeds. Discard the seeds.

4. Place all the vegetables and any accumulated tomato juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. For a coarser, more rustic soup, pulse the mixture and skip step # 10. I recently made this soup using our Nutribullet and it was awesome!

5. Add ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, and 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and blend briefly. If you don’t have balsamic vinegar, you may substitute red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar. They are often used in traditional recipes, but I like the deeper flavor of balsamic vinegar with the grilled gazpacho.

6. Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove stray seeds or skin. You will not regret the extra minute or two you spend doing this-it creates a luscious texture.

STEP 3- CHILL

Lastly, chill the soup for at least one hour before serving, preferably overnight. It is truly better the next day when all the flavors have time to meld together. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired when serving.

If you like, you can garnish with sliced green onions, fresh herbs like cilantro or basil, croutons, or diced veggies. You can also add a swirl of sour cream or Greek yogurt, but I like the clean flavor of this Grilled Gazpacho on its own.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no bread in the recipe?

Many traditional gazpacho recipes include a piece of crusty bread pureed in the soup to add body and thickening. Similar to Italian Panzanella, it likely originated as a way to use up stale, day-old bread. I’ve made this soup both ways many time, with and without bread, and omitted it in this recipe to make it gluten-free. 

What do the Spanish typically serve with gazpacho?

Traditionally, people serve gazpacho with crusty bread that you can dip into the soup, alongside some olives, Jamón Iberico (Spanish ham similar to prosciutto), and a delicious hard cheese like Manchego, Iberico, or smoked San Simon. Add a glass of Cava, Spanish sparkling wine, and enjoy your afternoon!

What type of tomatoes should I use?

I recommend using your ripest, ugliest tomatoes for this recipe. They will be pureed in the blender or food processor in the end, so outer beauty is not important. Go for juicy, ripe ones! Roma tomatoes, beefsteak tomatoes, or other large fleshy tomatoes work well. Cherry tomatoes can be used but take a lot more work.