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Ingredients
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Gazpacho Base
Garnishes / Optional Additions
Method
Gazpacho Base
- 1
Prepare vegetables
Core the tomatoes and roughly chop into large chunks. Peel, seed and roughly chop the cucumber. Remove seeds from the red bell pepper and roughly chop. Peel and halve the red onion. Smash the garlic clove with the flat of a knife and remove any green shoot.
- 2
Blend
Working in batches if necessary, place the tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion and garlic into a high-speed blender. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sherry vinegar, 60 ml of the cold water (reserve the rest in case you need to thin), and half the salt and pepper. Pulse to combine, then blend on high until completely smooth, about 60–90 seconds.
- 3
Adjust texture and seasoning
Taste the soup. Add remaining olive oil, the rest of the water as needed to reach desired thickness (gazpacho should be pourable but still a bit substantial), the remaining salt and pepper, and sugar if tomatoes are very acidic. Blend briefly to incorporate. If you prefer a chunkier gazpacho, reserve 1/2 cup of the blended mixture and stir in diced cucumber/red pepper/tomato from the garnish step instead of fully sieving.
- 4
Strain (optional)
For an ultra-smooth, restaurant-style gazpacho, pour the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using a spatula to press solids through. Discard solids. If you like more body, skip this step.
- 5
Chill
Cover and refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 2 hours, ideally 4–6 hours. Gazpacho tastes best well chilled so the flavors meld.
Garnishes / Serving
- 6
Prepare garnish vegetables
While the soup chills, finely dice the reserved cucumber, red bell pepper and tomato. Chop or chiffonade the basil or parsley. Make small croutons if using.
- 7
Finish and serve
Stir the chilled gazpacho. Taste once more and adjust seasoning with a little extra vinegar, salt or olive oil if needed. Ladle into chilled bowls or glasses. Spoon the diced garnish into the center of each portion, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with herbs and croutons. Grind a bit of black pepper on top.
- 8
Optional: Add BCN gin
If desired, add one shot (about 30–35 ml) of BCN gin to each serving and stir gently. Offer the gin on the side to let guests add their own if preferred.