Raw Tomato Soup is refreshing and delicious, perfect to be a starter when entertaining on warm summer nights. This Spanish cold tomato soup is something I always eat when traveling to hot destinations, and I love making it at home during the summertime, too.
I remember having the most wonderful bowl in Barcelona once after a very hot walk around the rooftop of Casa Mila. It was baking hot, and the sight of a refreshing bowl of chilled gazpacho coming toward me was the best thing in the world at that moment. I was there with a friend, and that night, we hopped on a boat at the marina and sailed it across the border to Montpellier in the south of France. Where there was a lot more delicious food, but I never quite forgot that gazpacho. The right food at the right place at the right time, a perfect storm of flavors and climate.
Whenever I make this raw tomato basil soup myself, it always takes me back to that day in Barcelona. This cold soup recipe is one of those summer staples that you'll make again and again, and it's so easy to do. A cold red pepper tomato soup recipe works for simple lunches at home or when entertaining on warm summer nights. And just like tomato soup in winter is the ultimate in comforting hugs, cold raw tomato soup in summer is the ultimate refresher.
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This classic gazpacho is one of my summer recipes, and I hope you love it as much as I do!
Why you will love this vegan raw tomato soup recipe
- Quick and easy: This cold tomato soup is ready in no more than 30 minutes. No cooking is involved, just chopped chunks of raw vegetables blended till smooth.
- No cooking time: With no cooking time, this easy raw vegetable soup recipe is a very quick lunch option to have in the fridge and eat at a moment's notice. Or, make it fresh and stir through some ice cubes to chill it down.
- Seasonal: On hot summer days, there is nothing better than a fresh, cold bowl of gazpacho, and it tastes better than ever because tomatoes will be in season.
- Delicious plus refreshing: No cooking required but so delicious and refreshing with lots of detailed garlic and vinegary flavors.
- Plant-based: This is one cold soup that can be served to everyone on the table without worrying about their dietary restrictions. It's vegan, dairy-free, and keto friendly.
What goes into this Raw blend Tomato Soup
- Tomatoes: Any type of large juicy tomato, such as Roma tomatoes and Black Krim tomatoes are perfect for this recipe. Or even Beef Heart tomatoes! Large tomatoes are the best tomatoes for gazpacho as you have to remove the skins, and if you use cherry tomatoes, you will be there all day!
- Cucumber: cucumbers with the skin peeled off (use a vegetable peeler). These are made up of up to 96% of water, so apart from making this cold tomato soup smooth, it also adds freshness to this raw soup.
- Shallot: although I used shallot in this recipe, you also can use regular onions. You may not have to use the whole onion, as the taste is strong. Shallot is milder and sweeter, hence why I use them so much in raw dishes.
- Bell pepper. I went with the red bell pepper to enhance the reddish color of the soup. You could use yellow or orange bell pepper.
- Olive oil: this ingredient gives this soup a level of richness, it can be substituted with the likes of avocado oil or odorless coconut oil, but extra virgin olive oil is the best fit.
- Basil and parsley: Fresh herbs for flavor and garnishing our delicious summer raw tomato soup.
- Sherry and White wine vinegar: These two tangy components do in our cold soup what vinaigrettes do in salads. It might seem odd to add vinegar, but the acidity just lifts everything and really brings out that classic gazpacho taste. Gazpacho origins are in Andalusia in, Spain, which is famous for its Sherry. Hence why I recommend using sherry vinegar in gazpacho.
- Garlic: roughly chopped garlic or garlic paste.
- Salt and black pepper for seasoning
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities.
How to make Raw Tomato Soup
- Put the tomatoes in a bowl of boiled water and leave for a few minutes until the skins start to peel off. Remove using a slotted spoon, carefully peel the skin off, and discard it before cutting tomatoes in half and scooping out the seeds.
- Peel and cut the cucumber into chunks, keeping a handful back for your garnish.
- Sprinkle some salt over the garlic and crush it into a paste using the back of a knife or spoon.
- Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor with the cucumber, sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, garlic, and half of the basil, plus a generous glug of olive oil and some salt and pepper, and blend until smooth. Chill in the fridge for an hour before pouring into bowls.
- Serve gazpacho topped with fresh basil, salt and freshly ground black pepper, and raw vegetable croutons.
What to serve with Raw tomato soup?
Garnish your gazpacho soup with finely diced cucumber, shallot, red bell pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. You can add croutons, too, if you want to bulk it out a bit more.
This cold soup can pair very well with crusty bread such as garlic bread or Irish soda bread.
Hint: Serving gazpacho in white bowls looks beautiful and shows off the vibrant red color. Or if serving cold tomato soup as an appetizer, try putting it in espresso cups!
Wine pairing for gazpacho
Pair gazpacho with a refreshing dry white Spanish wine like a Verdejo or Albariño.
Recipe variations
Here are some ways to make this classic gazpacho your own.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to your raw vegan tomato soup to add some heat.
- Deluxe - add a dollop of cream cheese and stir it through to make this decadent.
- Insta-friendly- Edible flowers look so pretty, I like chive flowers in this soup if I have any!
- Creaminess: make the soup even more creamy by adding avocado.
Storage Tips
Transfer the tomato red pepper soup into an airtight container and store in the fridge after making it. It will keep for 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Recipe notes and tips
- If the soup is too thick, consider adding some water 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Add some ice cubes to skip the chilling time. Bear in mind that ice cubes might alter the taste of this soup and water it down so don't go overboard.
FAQ
Yes, but I recommend removing the tomato skin to get the perfect smooth texture of tomato gazpacho.
You can easily turn this soup into a warm, comforting soup by heating it in a saucepan on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Canned tomatoes can sometimes be a suitable substitute for fresh tomatoes, plus you don't have to worry about removing the skin. However, it will not have the fresh taste of a classic gazpacho as the tomatoes are slightly cooked during the canning process. I would recommend always using raw, fresh tomatoes.
More delicious soup recipes
📖 Recipe
Raw Tomato Soup
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 kg tomatoes use a large variety
- 1 cucumber
- 1 shallot
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon basil
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Boil the kettle, and place the tomatoes in a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes to loosen the skins.
- Cut the cucumber into chunks, keeping a handful back and finely dicing for your garnish.
- Finely dice the bell pepper and shallot.
- Sprinkle some salt over the garlic and crush it into a paste using the back of a knife or spoon.
- Remove the tomatoes carefully with a slotted spoon, slide the skins off and cut them in half to scoop out the seeds being sure to preserve as much flesh as you can
- Place the tomatoes in a blender with the garlic, cucumber chunks, sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, half the basil and a generous glug of olive oil and blend until smooth. Chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Pour the gazpacho into bowls and top with the finely diced shallot, bell pepper, cucumber and some chopped basil and parsley, plus an extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Season to taste and serve.
katrina says
Loved this recipe, so great for summer days!