Gazpacho recipe

How to make Gazpacho at home in one, simple, step.

Tomato soup is a favourite in the winter - warming, comforting and full of sweet tomatoes. But when it gets to summer time nobody wants to sit over a bowl of steaming soup - enter Gazpacho.

This traditional Spanish soup uses the same sweet flavours of a normal tomato soup, but is served cold so that it can be refreshing rather than comforting. There is nothing more refreshing on a scorching hot summers day than a bowl or glass of this refreshing chilled soup.

This easy Gazpacho recipe is a classic. You will find this traditional Spanish soup served everywhere in Spain where it is made with fabulous sun-ripened vegetables. You can make this with fresh flavourful summer tomatoes if you like, but it is best to skin and de-seed them first, so we have made this soup with tinned tomatoes. This chilled soup makes a great summer canapé served in tiny shot glasses too. This recipe serves 6 people and will take only 15 mins to make plus chilling time.

Want to add a fancy flair to this Gazpacho dish?

Whip a few shots of the traditional version and then serve some green Gazpacho alongside it. Simply switch the tomatoes for spinach, pea shoots and green herbs.

Ingredients

• 3x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1 red pepper, de seeded and roughly chopped
• 75ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 10 basil leaves
• 6 spring onions, trimmed

Method

1. Pour the cans of tomatoes into a liquidiser. Add the garlic, cucumber and pepper and blend until finely chopped. Add the oil, vinegar and herbs and blend again. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Chill until ready to serve, then pour into chilled glasses and serve with the trimmed spring onions.