What Spanish cold soup is made from tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers? The answer is gazpacho. This chilled vegetable soup is most strongly associated with Andalusia in southern Spain and is prized as a refreshing dish in hot weather.
Modern gazpacho commonly blends ripe tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and sometimes bread with water. The result is a smooth, cool soup with a balance of sweetness, acidity, and savory flavor. Recipes vary widely: some versions are thick and bread-based, while others are lighter and more drinkable.
Gazpacho’s deeper history predates the arrival of tomatoes and peppers in Europe. Earlier Iberian preparations used ingredients such as bread, water, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Tomatoes and peppers—plants native to the Americas—were incorporated after the Columbian Exchange, helping create the red version most people recognize today.
Gazpacho is often confused with salmorejo, another Andalusian cold soup. Salmorejo is usually thicker, creamier, and more heavily based on bread and tomato, while gazpacho typically includes a broader mix of vegetables. Ajoblanco, by contrast, is a white cold soup made chiefly with almonds, bread, garlic, oil, and vinegar.