No.35 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Gazpacho

Made famous by José Andrés

Photo: Juan Emilio Prades Bel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America, 2005.

Andalusia's cold tomato soup is the summer recipe of southern Spain and one of the most searched soups of July and August.

Written in our own words and tested in a home kitchen. Get the original in Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 lb (1 kg) very ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• 1 Italian green frying pepper (or 1/2 green bell pepper), seeded and chopped
• 1 small cucumber (about 6 oz), peeled and chopped
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 oz (60 g) day-old white bread, crusts removed (optional, for body)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin Spanish olive oil, plus more to serve
• 2 to 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt
• To serve: finely diced cucumber, green pepper and onion, and croutons

Steps

1. Put the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, garlic and bread in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil; the soup will turn a paler orange and thicken slightly, like a light emulsion.
3. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and the salt and blend again. Taste: add more vinegar or salt until it tastes bright and full.
4. For a very smooth soup, push it through a fine sieve. Chill at least 2 hours, until very cold.
5. Taste again cold (cold dulls salt) and adjust. Serve in glasses or bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and the diced vegetables and croutons.

Chef's tips

• It only works with very ripe, red summer tomatoes.
• It keeps 2 days in the fridge; stir before serving.

This is Chef Amazing's write-up of the dish, tested for a home kitchen. The original is in Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by José Andrés: get the book.

← No. 34Spanish tortilla→ No. 36Coq au vin