Gazpacho – Vegetable soup

Cold Gazpacho from Andalusia for hot days

La Cocina de Lola's Gazpacho is a classic cold vegetable soup from Andalusia, raw-pureed from tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, and onion. Refreshing, fruity, ready to serve – the Spanish answer to hot summer days.

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish vegetable soup that is prepared raw and eaten chilled. This gazpacho from La Cocina de Lola brings the Andalusian summer to your table in a 720 ml jar: finely pureed vegetables, a dash of olive oil, and subtly seasoned. Open the bottle, chill it, and your refreshing appetizer is ready.

Fruity, cool, refreshing

The gazpacho smells of ripe tomatoes and red bell peppers, with a fresh hint of cucumber and a delicate note of garlic.

On the palate, it is cool and juicy; the fruity note of the tomato is at the forefront, bell pepper and roasted onion provide depth, and white wine vinegar adds fresh acidity. With a vegetable content of 34 percent, it tastes fully of vegetables, not concentrate. The soup likes it cool – the colder it is from the fridge, the more refreshing.

You can spoon it pure from a bowl or, as is often done in Spain, simply pour it into a glass and drink it. Thick enough for a spoon, liquid enough for a carafe – the gazpacho is both soup and refreshment.

The taste of summer in a jar

On hot days, it is a refreshing appetizer or a light lunch that requires no stove at all. The 720 ml bottle is enough for 3 to 4 small appetizer portions.

For a summer buffet or a garden party, pour the gazpacho into small glasses and serve them ice-cold – pretty to look at, served in an instant, and always the first choice in the heat. A small bowl as an amuse-bouche is also impressive.

Serve well-chilled at 6 to 8 degrees, with a few drops of good olive oil, some freshly ground pepper, and a few mint leaves. If you like, add toasted bread cubes or fried chorizo on top. Paired with a glass of Spanish white or rosé wine, it turns into a little summer party.

You can spice up the soup exactly to your taste: a few diced cucumbers and bell peppers, a splash of sherry vinegar, or a hard-boiled egg on top. It tastes best served cold, when it is fresh, light, and easy to digest.

It looks especially good on a tapas table, alongside the creamy garlic mayonnaise all i oli and the grilled piquillo peppers. Cold, colorful, uncomplicated – that's how the south eats in summer.

Raw-pureed, just like in Andalusia

The gazpacho comes from Andalusia, where it is traditionally prepared raw and eaten cold, not cooked.

To make the soup, the raw vegetables are first chopped small and then finely pureed: tomato, red bell pepper, roasted onions, and cucumber, plus 3 percent olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, and salt. This preserves the freshness of the raw tomato, and the soup tastes vibrant rather than stewed.

Unopened, the cold soup keeps well. Once opened, keep it refrigerated and enjoy within 2 to 3 days to ensure it is as fresh as intended. It is brought to us by delicatessen importer Antonio Viani, and you can find more Spanish delicacies from La Cocina de Lola, including aioli and piquillos for a full tapas evening.