What's the Difference Between Gazpacho & Tomato Bisque? Good Questions

Q: I've always wanted to know what the difference is between a gazpacho and a regular tomato soup or bisque.

Is it just the same thing but served cold?

Sent by Heather

Editor: Heather, our impression of gazpacho is that it involves a lot more fresh vegetables than a simple tomato bisque. It is also often made with bread and water added, while tomato bisque has a shorter list of ingredients, usually calls for chicken or vegetable broth, and is finished off with cream.

Here's a great recipe for gazpacho from guest blogger Monika:

• Chilled Gazpacho Andaluz in the Style of Pedro Almodóvar

Readers, any other thoughts on the differences between gazpacho and other sorts of tomato soup?

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(Image: Monika Kotus of Crumpets and Cakes)

Comments (6)

i think gazpacho is raw while other types of tomato soups are cooked.

Don't forget the red wine vinegar!

Thank you for posting a real gazpacho recipe! I always cut out the water and cut down on the onion and garlic since the raw stuff can be a bit rough on the tummy. In Seville, in my experience, it was often served with jamon, chopped egg, chopped bell pepper, cucumber, and tomato on the side if you wanted to garnish the awesomely olive oily soup.

I don't puree gazpacho. Never really saw a reason to do so. I like having the texture of real food in my mouth rather than a slurry.

Good stuff!

I've always considered the difference to be that gazpacho has a real tangy bite to it, because of the vinegar, raw red onion and raw garlic. It tastes entirely different to creamy, rich mellow hot tomato soup.

Melle
i think if you don't puree it, it's not considered gazpacho. We do make a salad in Spain that has mostly the same ingredients as gazpacho, but chopped rather than pureed. It's called 'picadillo' and we often add tuna (packed in olive oil) and hard boiled egg to it. it's delicious!

as for gazpacho, i'm pretty sure every family has their own recipe. in our family, we never add bread or onion. we do serve it with croutons on the side, as an option, as well as red and green peppers and hard boiled egg -- but just when we're feeling fancy. for the most part, there's always a pitcher of it in the fridge throughout the summer and we have been known to pour it straight into a glass and drink it up without the fuss of bowl and spoon!