This Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Is Summer in a Bowl
When summer’s heirloom tomatoes are at their peak, there’s no better time to make gazpacho. This chilled tomato soup puts the flavor and color of ripe summer tomatoes front and center, with garlic, peppers and fresh vegetables adding even more flavor.
It’s refreshing, intensely tomato-y and surprisingly easy to make ahead, which makes it an especially good recipe for hot summer days.
What are heirloom tomatoes?
If you love cooking with fresh produce, I’m sure you’ve heard of heirloom tomatoes. You’ve probably even used them. But you may not know what the term heirloom tomatoes means, other than it’s the name for some funny-looking fruit!
Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds saved from plants that produce desirable fruit. Those seeds are then used season after season, preserving the characteristics of the original plant.
Of course, if you’ve ever visited a farmer’s market in August, you know that the term heirloom tomato does not refer to just one kind of tomato.
Which heirloom tomatoes should you use for your gazpacho?
That really depends on a combination of what’s available and your personal preference. If you like your soup a bit sweet, you might choose different varieties than someone who likes their soup with a more vegetal flavor. The most important thing is to use fresh tomatoes.
Those of you who eat heirloom tomatoes regularly have a good idea of which tomatoes to pick to make the soup with the delicious tomato intensity you’re looking for. But if you aren’t feeling certain of what you’re looking for, Cooking Light has a nice guide to the flavors of some of the most popular varieties.
Tips for making the best gazpacho
Although this gazpacho recipe has several steps, it’s an incredibly easy soup to make and one that’s remarkably healthy. The most important step is your tomato selection. Pick the five best ripe fresh tomatoes and set them aside to use raw. These are the soup’s stars. Then peel the remaining seven.
What’s probably the easiest method for peeling tomatoes is the gas stove method. (You have to have a gas cooktop to do this.) Turn the flame to medium-high. Use a table fork to skewer the tomato and hold it one inch from the flame until the skin begins to blister. Once the skin is loose, remove the tomato from the flame and allow it to cool before peeling. (The blistering shouldn’t take more than 25 seconds. Don’t hold the tomato over the flame for too long or it will start to cook.)
If you don’t have a gas stove, you can peel the raw tomatoes with a sharp paring knife. Quarter the tomatoes and place the wedges seed side up on a cutting board. Slide the knife between the skin and flesh, staying as close to the skin as possible. This method isn’t easy but with a little practice, you’ll really improve your knife skills! (There is also a blanching/ice bath method for peeling tomatoes but it requires extra dishes and a lot of ice.)
Once your tomatoes are peeled, it’s time to make the soup. You’re going to cook down the tomatoes in the stock until they just lose their form. Then you process them in the food processor or blender until nice and smooth. While the tomatoes are cooking, you can sear the bell peppers seasoned with cumin and set them aside. This way, they will have time to cool down before you add them to the other soup ingredients.
Then you simply chop and combine the other vegetables and let them sit with the garlic for about 2 hours, covered at room temperature. The purpose is to let their flavors combine. Then add them, along with the peppers, to the pureed tomato base and chill the finished gazpacho overnight. Before you serve the chilled soup, you’ll make baguette bread crumbles for a fun and crunchy garnish.
Variation notes
It’s easy to make a vegan version of this tomato gazpacho soup. Although I personally prefer my heirloom tomato gazpacho made with chicken stock, vegetable stock works perfectly well. And other than that substitution, the soup is naturally vegan-friendly.
Why this cold soup should be a star on date night
Gazpacho is an easy way to make a summer dinner feel special without having to cook something complicated. It’s refreshing, colorful and can be made in advance, so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen when you’d rather be enjoying the evening.
This recipe is also generous with garlic, a food with a long history as an aphrodisiac. And tomatoes have their own fascinating history as an aphrodisiac food.
That’s one of my favorite ways to think about aphrodisiac cooking: start with a genuinely delicious meal, then choose ingredients with a little history and intrigue behind them.
More great summer soup recipes
Watermelon Soup with Jicama Salsa
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 1 dozen medium heirloom tomatoes, 7 peeled
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 red onion
- 1/2 head garlic
- 1 yellow bell pepper 1 yellow
- 2 red bell pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 6 oz vegetable or chicken broth*
- 1/2 french baguette
- 1 tbsp olive, grapeseed or avocado oil
- pinch cumin
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add your broth to a pot large enough to hold your tomatoes and bring the stock to a simmer.
- Cook down the peeled tomatoes in your vegetable or chicken broth, making sure the broth never goes above a simmer. (You will know that the tomatoes have cooked down enough once they have lost their form completely.) Season with salt to taste. Remove, let cool, then blend in a food processor.
- Small dice all your veggies as well as the remaining tomatoes. Mince the garlic, and finely chop half of the cilantro, reserving the rest of the leaves for garnish.
- Heat a pan, searing hot, add in the oil and the pinch of cumin. (You can do this while the tomatoes are cooking.)
- Quickly add your bell peppers to the pan and get a light, even, sear. Remove from pan and let cool.
- Combine all the vegetables (with exception of the bell peppers) and garlic into a bowl and let their flavors mingle at room temperature for couple of hours. (Be sure to cover the bowl with a lid or towel.)
- Add everything to the tomato base made in step 1. Let sit overnight.
- Before serving, thinly slice the baguette and toast in a 350F oven till it breaks easily and finely. Crumble into the already-chilled gazpacho.
- The soup can be served as-is or garnished with diced cucumber, red onion, yellow pepper and/or cilantro or parsley leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil for an indulgent finish.
Notes
- This Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho Is Summer in a Bowl - August 26, 2026
- Morning Mango Nice Cream for a Healthy Start - April 7, 2026
- Is Cacao an Aphrodisiac? Discover Cacao Benefits for Male & Female Sexual Health - October 22, 2025
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