If you’re looking for a gazpacho that’s a little outside the box, try giving this spicy Thai tuna gazpacho a shot. It’s spicy and fragrant, cool and exotic. Really, the flavor is simply addicting.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | A gazpacho seasoned like a Thai salad. Tomato and cucumber underneath, with fish sauce, lime, ginger and coconut milk over the top |
| Primary heat source | Two teaspoons of cayenne powder, and nothing else |
| Heat level | Medium. The coconut milk and the honey both push back against it |
| Texture | Smooth and cold straight from the blender, with flaked tuna on top for contrast |
| Best uses | A summer starter, or lunch with good bread |
| Customization ideas | A fresh jalapeño in place of the cayenne, or sardines and mussels instead of tuna |
Flavor notes
The vegetables are Spanish and the seasoning is Thai, and that is the whole idea. Tomato, cucumber and bell pepper make an ordinary gazpacho base. Then instead of olive oil, sherry vinegar and bread, we go in with fish sauce, lime, ginger, cilantro and coconut milk. Same cold soup, entirely different accent.
Nothing gets cooked. Everything but the tuna goes into the blender, and five minutes later you have soup. Two teaspoons of cayenne is the only heat in here, and blended through a liquid it spreads evenly, so there are no hot pockets and no mild spoonfuls. What sits against it is the half cup of coconut milk and the spoonful of honey.
We keep the tuna out of the blender and put it on top. Blend it in and you get a cloudy soup that tastes vaguely of fish; leave it whole and you get flakes to break through something completely smooth. It is also what moves this from a starter to lunch.
Adaptation ideas
In terms of spiciness, the two teaspoons of cayenne pepper provides a nice amount of heat, but feel free to experiment here. You can increase and decrease to your liking. Or opt for a fresh pepper instead. You could add a fresh jalapeño to the blender instead of the chili powder to give it a twist. You’ll lose some of this soup’s beautiful peachy-pink color, but it works.
- Fresh chili instead of powder: Worth trying at least once, and worth knowing what you trade. Cayenne powder keeps the soup that peachy-pink; a fresh green chili takes it toward a murkier orange.
- Go easier on the fish sauce: Two tablespoons is assertive. Cut it to one and lift the lime a little if you would rather the vegetables came forward.
- Skip the honey: If your tomatoes are good and ripe they may not need it. Taste before you add, then decide.
- Make it richer: More coconut milk gives a rounder, creamier bowl and takes the edge off the cayenne at the same time.
- Went too far on the heat? More coconut milk is the quickest way back, and our guide to fixing an over-spiced dish has the rest.
Serving ideas
Topping it with tuna may not sound like an obvious combination, but try it at least once. It’s really tasty. You can also try some other canned fish, like sardines or mussels. They all pair well with this delicious summer soup.
- Cold, in small bowls: This is rich for a chilled soup. Four servings goes further as a starter than as a main.
- With bread and good oil: Something crusty to push the tuna onto.
- Add crunch on top: Diced cucumber, sliced chili, or a few cilantro leaves, so there is texture beyond the tuna.
- Use the tuna elsewhere too: If you have a can spare, our spicy tuna pâté puts it to work in a different direction.
- For the same flavors hot: Our spicy Thai coconut soup runs a similar palette in a warm bowl.
Storage notes
As with all gazpachos, spicy Thai tuna gazpacho is best served the day of making. You can chill it briefly in the refrigerator, or, if you need it quick, add a few ice cubes to the bowl. You can store it overnight refrigerated in an airtight container, but we don’t recommend any more time than that. Any longer and the vegetables tend to discolor.
Keep the tuna separate until you serve. Sitting in the soup it goes soft and cloudy, and it is a ten-second job to flake it over at the last moment.
Do not freeze this one. Blended raw vegetables turn watery and grainy on thawing, and the coconut milk splits, so what comes out is not what went in. If you have made more than you need, the answer is a smaller batch next time, since it takes five minutes.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Spanish Gazpacho: A delicious mix of Spanish flavors make this a stellar summer treat.
- Thai Pumpkin Soup: Not your typical “fall in a bowl” fare. This is exotic and bold.
- Chipotle Carrot Soup: Smoky and earthy sweet, with a touch of heat. Chipotle and carrots are a great pairing.
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Spicy Thai Tuna Gazpacho
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 3 large tomatoes quartered
- 4 inches cucumber quartered
- ½ bell pepper Roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 lime juice only
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper powder
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 tablespoon honey you can also use palm sugar if you have it
- 1 cup water
- 1 can tuna 14 ounces
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender, apart from the sugar and tuna.
- Blend until smooth, adding a few ice cubes if you like It extra cold.
- Adjust the taste with the addition of honey or palm sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour for the best overall flavor.
- Serve in bowls topped with tuna.
