This easy tomato gazpacho recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and Spicy V8 for a flavorful cold soup that's perfect for warm weather. There's no cooking required, just chop, mix, chill, and serve.
The Spicy V8 gives the gazpacho plenty of tomato flavor with a little kick, while fresh garden vegetables keep it crisp and refreshing. It's a delicious make-ahead lunch or light meal that's even better after the flavors have had time to chill together.
"I had gazpacho at a baby shower 15 years ago and someone brought it to the shower. It was delicious so I asked for the recipe. Very similar to this with a few tweaks but the V-8 is the secret! I love this and will definitely be making this week."
★★★★★- Rachel
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Easy Tomato Gazpacho Recipe with V8
- A Note from my Kitchen
- Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Watch how to make
- How to make Gazpacho
- Optional Add-Ins
- Tips for Making the Best Gazpacho
- How long does tomato gazpacho last in the refrigerator?
- About the Recipe
- More Cold No-Cook Recipes
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
🔍 Quick Look: Easy Tomato Gazpacho Recipe with V8
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
❄️ Chill Time: 1 hour or more
👥 Servings: 10
📊 Calories: 73 per serving
🍅 Main Ingredients: Spicy V8, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, onion, broth, olive oil
👩🍳 Make Ahead: Yes
⭐ Difficulty: Easy
❤️ You'll Love It Because: It's fresh, flavorful, packed with vegetables, and requires no cooking.
A Note from my Kitchen
My Aunt Sue's signature ingredient in this gazpacho recipe is Spicy V8 juice. It adds loads of tomato flavor and gives the soup a little extra kick without making it overly spicy. If you don't like spicy foods, you can easily substitute with regular V8.
One tip from experience: stick with the V8 brand. I once grabbed a knockoff because the store didn't carry V8, and the gazpacho wasn't nearly as good. Lesson learned. You have been warned! I hope you love it as much as we do. Enjoy! Xoxo -Katie.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
You will need the following ingredients for Tomato Gazpacho.
- Spicy V8 Tomato Juice - This is the shortcut that gives the gazpacho a rich tomato base without having to blend a large amount of tomatoes. It adds tons of flavor and a little kick of heat. Regular V8 can be substituted for a milder soup.
- Fresh tomatoes- Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes when possible. Garden tomatoes or vine-ripened tomatoes are especially good here. Feel free to mix up different varieties.
- Cucumber - Use any variety of cucumber. However, if you are using garden cucumbers with thick skin, peel them before adding them into the soup.
- Bell Peppers - Use both green and red, which add flavor, crunch, and color. Yellow and orange bell peppers would be great also.
- Broth - The recipe calls for beef broth, but feel free to substitute with vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian or vegan.
- Red wine vinegar + lemon juice - These add the acidity that brightens the flavors of the tomatoes and fresh vegetables.
- Olive oil - Gives flavor and balances the acidity of the soup.
- Onion - I use white onion or sweet yellow onion to add flavor without being too overwhelming. However, you can use red onion or substitute with onion powder.
- Minced Garlic - You can substitute with garlic powder.
Watch how to make
How to make Gazpacho
Follow these simple steps to make homemade Gazpacho.
- In a large mixing bowl, add Spicy V8 Tomato Juice.
- Dice the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onion. Add the vegetables to the tomato juice.
- Add the beef broth, olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, and a dash of hot sauce (if desired). Mix well.
- Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend. When ready to serve, stir well and garnish with sour cream and/or a slice of avocado.
Optional Add-Ins
- Worcestershire Sauce - For an extra pop of tangy flavor.
- Lime juice in place of lemon juice.
- Fresh chopped cilantro or basil.
- Croutons for texture and crunch.
- Fresh diced jalapeno for extra spice and pepper flavor.
- Diced celery for a pop of flavor and crunch.
Tips for Making the Best Gazpacho
- Use fresh, ripe tomatoes. Because nothing is cooked, the flavor of the tomatoes really matter.
- Dice vegetables evenly. This is a chunky gazpacho recipe, so small, even sized pieces make it easier to eat. Prefer a smooth gazpacho? Blend some or all of the soup with an immersion blender until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Taste after chilling. Allowing it to rest and chill allows the flavors to blend. After chilling, you can taste once again to decide if the soup will need any additional salt, pepper, vinegar, or hot sauce.
- Make it ahead. This soup gets better as it sits and the flavors have time to blend.
How long does tomato gazpacho last in the refrigerator?
Store tomato gazpacho in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Stir well between each serving because the soup separates as it sits.
About the Recipe
This recipe came from my Aunt Sue Kaat, a sweet little lady with a whole lot of spunk. She has always eaten very healthy, and she looks amazing to prove it.
One summer, I was visiting her in Wautoma, Wisconsin, when she made a huge batch of her gazpacho to take to a sick friend. She thought all of those fresh vegetables, vitamins, and wholesome ingredients might help her friend feel a little better. That's just the kind of person my Aunt Sue is.
Luckily for me, she had some extra to share. I sat down with a bowl, took one bite, and I was hooked. It had so much flavor with just the right amount of heat, and I loved all the chunky vegetables. It was fresh and light, but still filling enough to feel like a real meal. Of course, I immediately asked her for the recipe.
Over the years, Aunt Sue's gazpacho has become one of my favorite meals to make when the North Carolina summer heat sets in. When those July and August days are pushing 100 degrees and the last thing I want is a hot meal, a cold bowl of this gazpacho hits the spot.
It's fresh, flavorful, filling, and satisfying. Every time I make it, I think about all the lovely memories my family has shared over the years with Aunt Sue, Uncle Ron, and my cousins.
She also shared her Baked Calico Beans recipe which is very popular on my blog. I am sure you will love this recipe too!
Please leave me a comment below if you make this gazpacho soup and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers. Or share a photo on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags!
📖 Recipe
Easy Tomato Gazpacho Recipe with V8
Ingredients
- 46 ounces Spicy V8 Tomato Juice
- 4 cups tomatoes diced
- ½ cup cucumber peeled and seeded
- ½ cup green bell pepper diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 cup beef broth or vegetable broth
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- dash hot sauce
- Garnish with sour cream and/or a slice of avocado
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add Spicy V8 Tomato Juice.46 ounces Spicy V8 Tomato Juice
- Dice the tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onion. Add the vegetables to the tomato juice.4 cups tomatoes, ½ cup cucumber , ½ cup green bell pepper, ½ cup red bell pepper, ½ cup onion
- Add the beef broth, olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, and a dash of hot sauce (if desired). Mix well.1 cup beef broth, 3 tbs olive oil, 2 tbs lemon juice, 2 Cloves garlic, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, dash hot sauce
- Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least one hour to allow the flavors to blend. When ready to serve, stir well and garnish with sour cream and/or a slice of avocado.Garnish with sour cream and/or a slice of avocado
Choppie says
Your recipe is a good starting point, in my opinion. Since you are using this as the entree, I like to make a heartier version. I add more of a variety of veggies to mine. I also add celery, carrots, radishes, zucchini, yellow squash and green onions. Instead of using beef broth, lemon juice and red wine vinegar, I use Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Because I add so much more, and I can handle the heat I double the Tabasco. I also garnish with Parmesan cheese and cheddar croutons.
Linda says
Please tell your Aunt Sue that this gazpacho is delicious. I did add black beans to increase the protein, but the rest was so much easier than the recipe I was using and was wonderful. Since some of us can't handle spicy, I did us regular V-8 and passed the hot sauce.
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Mike Schwarzott says
Gazpacho is one of my favorites especially in Charleston South Carolina.
I put extra veggies in it and let it marinate for an hour. Took my small strainer and put a couple strainers full in my food processor. Adds a lot of flavor and more thickness. I also added garlic.
Rachel says
I had gazpacho at a baby shower 15 years ago and someone brought it to the shower. It was delicious so I asked for the recipe. Very similar to this with a few tweaks but the V-8 is the secret! I love this and will definitely be making this week.
Michelle says
Mmmmn so many wonderful vitamins in this gazpacho! I love the idea of using V8. Clever!
Rebecca schmorr says
I just made this last night. It’s simple and the best gazpacho I’ve ever had! Didn’t change a thing. Thank you for this! And I just read your bio…I’m half time in Beaufort (half time raleigh) as well. Funny coincidence 🙂
Beth says
Oh I love Gazpacho! I used to be you were, thinking only hot things were worthy of being called soups until I tasted it! So fresh and delicious! I have never made it with v8 though, I'll have to give that a try!
Patty says
There's nothing more delicious and refreshing than a good gazpacho in Summer, your recipe looks fabulous, I'll try your way next time!
Zahra says
I absolutely adore gazpacho. I made a free version this week with all green vegetables and herbs. Are you familiar with that version. It’s fabulous. Your version sounds great. I will be trying this next.
Noel Lizotte says
I'm also leery of cold soups. It just seems odd to me. I will say this recipe using the V8 is a great way to short cut the process. It's also full of flavor! Your photos are tempting me to try your aunt's recipe and maybe, I too will be a cold soup convert.