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National Gazpacho Day

Food · December 6

A day for gazpacho, the cold Spanish soup of blended tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, garlic, olive oil and bread, served chilled.

National Gazpacho Day falls on Sunday, December 6, 2026. That is 40 days away.

Gazpacho is a cold soup, and it is meant to be. It comes from Spain, especially the southern region of Andalusia, where it is made from raw tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and a little stale bread, all blended until smooth.

The bread is the quiet part. It thickens the soup and gives it body without any cream. The vinegar keeps it bright, and the olive oil makes it silky. Served cold, it tastes a lot like a garden that has been politely asked to become a drink.

People eat it in bowls with a spoon, or pour it into small glasses and sip it. Common toppings are finely diced cucumber, onion, pepper and toasted bread cubes, added at the table so they stay crisp. Some cooks leave it a little chunky, others strain it until it is velvety.

It is a forgiving recipe. Ripe tomatoes matter more than anything else, and a few hours in the refrigerator lets the flavors settle. Many Spanish households keep a pitcher of it in the fridge through the hot months, ready whenever someone wants something cool and savory.

There are cousins, too. Salmorejo, from Córdoba, uses more bread and fewer vegetables, and comes out thick enough to hold a topping of chopped egg.

Ways to celebrate

• Try making gazpacho with the ripest tomatoes you can find.
• Serve it in small glasses and sip it like a drink.
• Set out diced cucumber, onion and croutons as toppings.
• Taste a thick salmorejo next to a thin gazpacho.
• Look for gazpacho on a local Spanish restaurant menu.

Dates

All national days on December 6

Also on December 6

• National Microwave Oven Day
• St. Nicholas Day
• Put on Your Own Shoes Day
• National Miners Day
• Mitten Tree Day

Categories: Food days