This fermented gazpacho recipe is based on one that my mom made when I was a kid. Fermenting this popular summer soup is a great way to reduce indigestion that sometimes comes from eating raw onions and garlic. The result is a deliciously simple recipe.
Gazpacho is a cold soup made from raw blended vegetables. It is traditionally eaten during the hot summer months when a cold, no-cook soup is about all anyone feels like making for dinner.
I think it was widely popular in the 1980s. Or at least my parents were really into making gazpacho in the 1980s. I’ll admit it wasn’t my favorite. The raw onion and garlic were just too harsh on my tender 8-year-old digestive system.
Truthfully, I’m still not certain I could stomach the raw garlic in my parents’ version of this popular soup. That’s why I always ferment my gazpacho!
- Fermented onions and garlic are not nearly as hard to digest.
- It’s a great way of preserving this soup without refrigeration. Perfect for picnics and camping trips!
- Fermenting doesn’t require any extra effort. All it requires is a bit of time. So plan ahead!
Use your favorite recipe!
Traditionally, gazpacho was made with whatever was fresh and abundant. It’s truly a soup that is meant to be made from garden-fresh summer vegetables. For example, my Joy of Cooking has 3 recipes for gazpacho!
Likewise, fermented gazpacho can be made from any basic gazpacho recipe. So if you have a favorite recipe, why not try fermenting it! The key is to use a starter culture.
Add 1 Tablespoon of a starter culture per cup of gazpacho. To make sure the acidity is balanced, use the starter culture as a replacement for lemon or lime juice, vinegar, or other acids.
Starter cultures options include:
- Apple cider vinegar with a mother.
- Homemade wine vinegar (store-bought usually contains sulfites).
- Unflavored kombucha or water kefir.
Fermented Gazpacho
Do you find the raw onion and garlic in gazpacho to be a bit hard to digest? Try fermented gazpacho instead! Fermentation is an easy way to reduce indigestion and get the most out of this delicious summer soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Fermentation
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For Fermenting
- 2 lbs Roma tomatoes
- 1 medium field cucumber
- 1 green pepper
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup parsley leaves
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil leaves
- 6 Tbsp cider vinegar (with mother)
For Finishing
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt, to taste
Instructions
- The soup is going to be pureed in a blender or food processor. So the vegetables only need to be roughly chopped.
- Wash and core the tomatoes. Peel and deseed the cucumber. Deseed the pepper. Peel the onion and garlic. Then add all the vegetables to the blender. Pulse to finely chop the vegetables.
- Add the herbs and cider vinegar to the blender. If you are planning to ferment this soup be sure to use raw vinegar with a mother, or choose a different culture (see the section above for options).
- Pulse to combine. At this point, you can leave the soup roughly chopped, or continue to blend until it’s fully pureed.
- Pour the soup into a glass container for fermenting. I use two quart-sized mason jars or a 2 L fido jar. Cap with a lid, and leave the jar somewhere dark to ferment for 12 to 24 hours. See notes for details.
- After fermenting, stir in the olive oil and salt, to taste. Enjoy right away, or refrigerate for up to two weeks. (Non-fermented gazpacho will only last for 3 days in the fridge).
- We enjoy fermented gazpacho with slices of fresh sourdough bread. It’s not a hearty meal, but it’s just right on a hot summer’s day.
Notes
- Vinegar doesn’t typically result in a bubbly ferment, so it’s fine to use an air-tight lid.
- It’s also fine to use an air-tight lid if using kombucha instead of vinegar because it’s only going to ferment for 24 hours. Just be sure to pop the lid after 24 hours to release the build-up of gas.
Keywords: summer, cold, fermented, probiotic, healthy, no-cook, garden, gluten-free, keto, paleo, raw
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