No Cook Tomato Soup
A no cook tomato soup you blend in 20 minutes with peak season Ontario field tomatoes. Nothing goes near the stove, and it improves on day two.
Ingredients
| ontario field tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped | 1.25 kg |
| english cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped | 150 g |
| red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped | 180 g |
| red onion, roughly chopped | 75 g |
| garlic, peeled | 2 cloves |
| white baguette, torn into chunks | 100 g |
| olive oil | 60 ml |
| red wine vinegar | 30 ml |
| fine salt | 5 ml |
| Freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
Steps
- 1Soak the torn baguette in cold water for 2 minutes, then squeeze out the excess firmly.
- 2Add the tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, garlic and soaked bread to a blender. Work in two batches if your blender is on the smaller side.
- 3Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until completely smooth with no flecks of skin left.
- 4With the blender running on low, stream in the olive oil, then add the vinegar, salt and pepper.
- 5Taste and adjust. It should be bright and slightly sharper than you want the finished soup, because chilling mutes flavour.
- 6Pour into a large container, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 4.
- 7Stir well, taste once more, and serve cold with a drizzle of olive oil. Diced cucumber, croutons or torn basil all work on top.
A no cook tomato soup earns the heart-healthy tag honestly. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid pigment linked to cardiovascular health, and blending raw tomatoes with olive oil helps your body absorb it, since lycopene is fat-soluble. That is a rare case where the easiest preparation is also the most efficient one.
It is 32 degrees, the kitchen already feels like a greenhouse, and turning on the oven would qualify as self-harm. This is the recipe for exactly that afternoon.
This no-cook tomato soup is a chilled Spanish gazpacho built around peak-season Ontario field tomatoes, blended in one appliance with no time at the stove at all. Twenty minutes of work, two hours in the fridge, and it feeds six.
Which Fixes Rescue a Bland Chilled Soup?
The blender does nearly all of the labour, so your only real job is buying good tomatoes. In Ontario in August, that is the easiest assignment of the year. Look for field tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and smell like tomato at the stem, the same standard that makes our corn and zucchini fritters worth making in August rather than February, because a bland chilled soup is almost always a mediocre-tomato problem, since there is no caramelization or long simmering to hide behind.
Do not shorten the chilling time. Gazpacho straight from the blender tastes flat and faintly warm, and the same soup after a few hours in the fridge tastes like a different dish entirely. It keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated and genuinely improves on day two, which makes it a strong make-ahead lunch.
For heat, half a jalapeño blended in works nicely. For something dressier, a few cooked shrimp on top turn it into a starter that looks like considerably more effort than it was, or serve it beside a mango avocado salmon bowl for a full cold lunch. If you are building a summer table around Ontario produce, our grilled chicken and Ontario peach salad and summer lentil salad with feta and lemon both sit alongside it well.
Why Does Dehydration in Hot Weather Catch You Out?
Between the tomatoes, cucumber and pepper, each bowl delivers several servings of vegetables plus a substantial amount of fluid, which counts for more than usual in August, when heat exhaustion symptoms start showing up in people who thought they were drinking enough. Dehydration in hot weather creeps up faster than thirst signals it, and our piece on why your body gets so dehydrated in summer explains what is actually happening when you fall behind.
The olive oil brings unsaturated fat in place of saturated, which is one of the specific swaps Canada's dietary guidelines associate with lower cardiovascular risk. Vegetables and fruit are meant to fill half your plate, and a bowl of this gets you a long way there before you have eaten anything else.
If you are thinking about how to eat better through the rest of the summer and beyond, a registered dietitian can build a plan around your health goals and food you actually enjoy. You can find and book a dietitian near you on Medimap, or start with a family doctor if there is a health condition shaping what you can eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does gazpacho keep in the fridge?
Covered and refrigerated, this no-cook tomato soup keeps 3 to 4 days and often tastes better on the second day once the flavours settle. Stir well before serving, since it separates. Do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours.
Can you make gazpacho without bread?
Yes, though the texture thins noticeably. Bread is what gives traditional gazpacho its body and slight creaminess. For a gluten-free version, substitute gluten-free bread or blend in a small cooked potato or a handful of raw almonds instead.
Do you have to peel the tomatoes for gazpacho?
Not with a high-powered blender, which breaks skins down completely in a minute or two. If your blender is less powerful and you notice flecks of skin, pass the soup through a fine sieve after blending, or blanch and peel the tomatoes first.
Is gazpacho good for weight management?
It is low in energy density, meaning a filling volume for relatively few calories, and high in fluid and vegetables. That combination supports fullness. Individual needs vary, so a registered dietitian is the right person to build a plan around your circumstances.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak with a licensed health professional about your own situation. If this is an emergency, call 911.