• Home
  • About Us
    • News and Awards
    • Privacy Policy
    • Travel Resources
    • Disclosure
  • Partner with Us
  • Contact
  • Destinations
    • Mexico
      • Mexico City
      • Cancun Riviera-Maya
      • Huatulco & Mazunte
      • Morelia
      • Oaxaca City
      • Puerto Escondido
      • Puerto Vallarta
      • Chiapas
      • San Miguel de Allende
    • Caribbean
      • Anguilla
      • Antigua and Barbuda
      • Aruba
      • Bahamas
      • Bonaire
      • Curacao
      • Dominican Republic
      • Grenada
      • Martinique
      • St. Kitt’s
      • Trinidad & Tobago
      • Virgin Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Cyprus
      • Greece
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • Canada & United States
      • British Columbia
      • Atlantic Canada
      • Ontario
      • Quebec
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Kentucky
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfasts
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Salsas
    • Entrees
    • Soup
    • Easy Guatemalan Recipes
    • Christmas Recipes
  • Reviews & Tips
  • Types of Travel
    • Cruises & Boating
    • Food & Wine Adventures
    • Romantic Getaways
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Taste for Travel logo

The world's most amazing food, drink and sun destinations

  • Home
  • About Us
    • News and Awards
    • Privacy Policy
    • Travel Resources
    • Disclosure
  • Partner with Us
  • Contact
  • Destinations
    • Mexico
      • Mexico City
      • Cancun Riviera-Maya
      • Huatulco & Mazunte
      • Morelia
      • Oaxaca City
      • Puerto Escondido
      • Puerto Vallarta
      • Chiapas
      • San Miguel de Allende
    • Caribbean
      • Anguilla
      • Antigua and Barbuda
      • Aruba
      • Bahamas
      • Bonaire
      • Curacao
      • Dominican Republic
      • Grenada
      • Martinique
      • St. Kitt’s
      • Trinidad & Tobago
      • Virgin Islands
    • Central America
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Panama
    • Europe
      • Cyprus
      • Greece
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • Canada & United States
      • British Columbia
      • Atlantic Canada
      • Ontario
      • Quebec
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Kentucky
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfasts
    • Drinks
    • Desserts
    • Sauces & Salsas
    • Entrees
    • Soup
    • Easy Guatemalan Recipes
    • Christmas Recipes
  • Reviews & Tips
  • Types of Travel
    • Cruises & Boating
    • Food & Wine Adventures
    • Romantic Getaways
Home » Chilled Beet Gazpacho with Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

Chilled Beet Gazpacho with Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

Modified:  July 4, 2025 Published: Feb 8, 2021   //  by Michele Peterson 4 Comments

We may earn income from links in this post. Please read this Disclosure for details.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Pinterest image of Cold Beet Soup with text overlay.

This fresh beet gazpacho is a cool, confident take on cold beet soup. It’s chilled, bold, and just earthy enough to make you feel like you’re doing something good for your body, while still being ridiculously refreshing.

It features fresh beets, cucumber, onion, creamy yogurt and a splash of lime. Topped with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for crunch, it’s a total lifesaver on a hot day. Beet gazpacho soup in a white bowl on a wooden board.

 

Jump to:
  • Why This Recipe Works 
  • What’s Unique About Gazpacho?
  • Ingredients for this Beetroot Soup with Yogurt
  • Step by Step Instructions 
  • Pro Tips and Serving Suggestions:
  • Can I Freeze Gazpacho?
  • More Soup Recipes to Try!
  • Recipe

Why This Recipe Works 

I’ve had cold beet soup in more ways than I can count, and this version brings together all my favourites. From my Ukrainian roots, there’s that classic combo of beets and creamy tang that tastes like summer in a bowl.

And while Lithuanian šaltibarščiai inspired the cucumbers, I skipped the eggs to keep things light and easy.

Beets are always a winner in Latin cuisine. You’ll see them mixed with potatoes in ensalada rusa, as a topping on Guatemalan enchiladas and served for special occasions such as ensalada de nochebuena (Christmas Eve salad) in Mexico.

Plus:

  • This beetroot gazpacho recipe is a great way to enjoy the fresh flavour of beets when they’re in season.
  • It comes together quickly and is easy to make in advance.
  • As a lightened-up version of cold beet soup, it’s thickened with potato instead of heavy cream. So it’s silky without weighing you down.
  • The pretty magenta colour makes it the perfect appetizer for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or a special summer brunch.
  • The rich red colour of beets isn’t just for show. It comes from phytonutrients that give plants their pigment and pack a serious nutritional punch.
  • It’s vegetarian and gluten-free.

What’s Unique About Gazpacho?

Also known as gazpacho de remolacha, gazpacho is made of fresh beets, potato, cucumber, spices, yogurt and a splash of lime. Together it creates the ultimate creamy, fresh beet soup.

Don’t get this recipe confused with traditional heirloom tomato gazpacho. While they’re both served chilled, the flavour and ingredients of the two are totally different. There are no tomatoes at all in beet gazpacho.

This Spanish cold beet soup is also different than Polish, Ukrainian and Russian cold borscht. Those versions usually contain dill and meat (either beef or pork). This gazpacho is vegetarian.

You’ll also find that this gazpacho is unique because there are so many incredible ways to switch up the garnishes. I often make it with buttery, garlicky croutons.

Ingredients for this Beetroot Soup with Yogurt

Labelled ingredients for beetroot gazpacho including fresh beets, potato, yogurt, vegetable broth, pepper and salt, onion, cucumber and lime juice.

For exact quantities of ingredients and full method, please scroll down to the recipe card.

  • Fresh red beets: You can substitute frozen beets but not canned. Detroit Supreme, Kestrel, Red Ace and Merlin are the best tasting beet varieties. 
  • White potato: Acts as a thickening agent without added fat. 
  • White onion: White is more mild than yellow. 
  • English cucumber: Mild, tender and refreshing. 
  • Plain yogurt: Adds tang to balance the sweetness. Mexican crema also works. 
  • Lime juice: Freshly squeezed for a Latin spin. 
  • Vegetable broth: Preferably homemade or low sodium store-bought.
  • Pepitas and parsley: For garnish. Pepitas (squash seeds) are plumper than the shelled pumpkin seeds but substitute raw, unsalted and shelled pumpkin seeds if you can’t find pepitas. Use any leftovers in jocon and pepian, traditional Guatemalan spiced stews.

Pro tip: Don’t toss away those beet green leaves. Instead, use them up in this delicious Beet Greens Pesto!

Step by Step Instructions 

Please scroll down to the recipe card for full method and quantities. 

1. Place the beets and potato in a large pot of water.

2. Bring to a quick boil and lower heat to a simmer. Boil the vegetables until fork tender and completely cooked. This should take around 45 minutes.

Cooked beets and potato with skins removed in a clear glass bowl.

3. Remove beets and potato from water and allow them to cool. Once ready to handle, slip off their skins and discard.

Then slice and chop the beets and potatoes into one-inch pieces.

Chopped vegetables for beet gazpacho.

4. Add the chopped beet and potato to a blender along with chopped onion, cucumber and one cup of vegetable stock. Purée until smooth, working in batches if necessary.

5. Add the remaining one cup of stock in increments until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. It should be super smooth with no identifiable pieces of vegetable and have the consistency of heavy cream.

Adding yogurt to beet puree for cold beet soup.

6. Add the yogurt and lime juice to the beet and potato puree and blend once more.

Pureed beet and potato for gazpacho
Puree the beet, potato, yogurt, lime juice and cucumber in a blender one final time until smooth.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill the soup (covered) in the refrigerator for one hour to allow the flavours to develop.

8. While the soup is chilling, prepare the toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds). Heat a dry skillet or a comal (a flat clay or cast iron cooking griddle) over medium-high heat. Add the pepitas. Toast the seeds and continue stirring until very lightly browned. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.

Pan toasting pepitas ( pumpkin seeds) in a skillet.
Toast the pepitas ( pumpkin seeds) in a skillet over medium high heat.

 

9. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, add a swirl of yogurt. Garnish with diced onion, diced cucumber, a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds and a sprig of parsley.

Overhead shot of gazpacho de remolacha or chilled beet soup in a white bowl.
Serve topped with toasted pumpkin seeds for extra crunch.

 

Serve immediately!

Pro Tips and Serving Suggestions:

  • Wear gloves and avoid splashing beet juice around the kitchen as it stains!
  • To get the creamiest cold beet soup use a high-powered blender or immersion blender rather than a food processor for  puréeing. A food processor doesn’t usually get a consistency as smooth as a blender. I used a large Ninja blender for this recipe.
  • For a richer, more indulgent soup, substitute Mexican crema, creme fraiche or sour cream for the yogurt.  It adds a luxurious texture flavour but more calories.
  • To show off the beautiful colour of this soup, serve it in pure white or clear glass bowls. A fun option is to serve it in shooter glasses as an appetizer for a weekend brunch or a cocktail party.
  • Gazpacho should be creamy. I highly recommend using a high powered blender or immersion blender to puree this soup. A food processor doesn’t seem to get the texture smooth and creamy enough.
  • This soup pairs well with dishes such as our Creamy Pasta with Eggplant and Sundried Tomatoes, Spanish Breakfast Casserole and grilled steak!

Can I Freeze Gazpacho?

Although fresh beet soup is best as soon as it’s made, it can also be frozen for 2 to 3 months in a proper freezer container or freezer bag. Just leave a little room at the top of the container, as the soup will expand a bit as it freezes.

Since yogurt can separate slightly when frozen,  I recommend waiting to add it right before serving. So, when you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the soup completely in the refrigerator.

Then, add the yogurt and blend it briefly to mix completely. Add water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

More Soup Recipes to Try!

  • Instant Pot White Bean Soup 
  • Traditional Guatemalan Black Bean Soup 
  • Chilled Pea and Mint Soup Shooters 

Recipe

Healthy beet gazpacho with yogurt in a white bowl.
Print
5 from 43 votes

Chilled Beet Gazpacho

This easy beet gazpacho is a refreshing, cold beet soup featuring fresh beets, cucumber, onion, creamy yogurt and a splash of lime. A delicious and light soup for lunch or dinner, it's thickened with potato rather than heavy cream so is quite low in calories.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Chilling time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
Course: First Course, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican, Spanish
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Michele Peterson
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • Blender or immersion blender
  • Knife
  • large pot

Ingredients

  • 4 medium beets with stalk and leaves removed
  • 1 potato large
  • ¼ cup white onion chopped
  • 1 English cucumber peeled and sliced, seeded if necessary. reserve some for the garnish.
  • 3 Tablespoon plain yogurt
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 2 cups vegetable broth homemade or low sodium purchased broth

Garnish:

  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds or pepitas shelled and pan toasted
  • ¼ cup diced cucumber – peeled and diced finely
  • ¼ cup white onion diced finely
  • parsley sprigs
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Place the cleaned beets and potato in a large pot of water. Bring to a quick boil and lower heat to a simmer. Boil until fork tender and completely cooked. This should take around 45 minutes.
  • Remove the beets and potato from water and allow to cool. Once ready to handle, slip off their skins, then slice and chop into one-inch pieces.
  • Add the chopped beet and potato to a blender along with the chopped white onion, cucumber ( be sure you've reserved some for the garnish) and one cup of vegetable stock..
  • Purée until smooth, working in batches if necessary.
  • Add the remaining one cup of stock in increments until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. It should be super smooth with no identifiable pieces of vegetable and have the consistency of heavy cream.
  • Add the yogurt and lime juice, blend one final time.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Chill the soup (covered) in the refrigerator for one hour to allow the flavours to develop.
  • While the soup is chilling, toast the pepita (pumpkin seeds) in a dry skillet until light brown.
  • Ladle the soup into small individual bowls, add a swirl of yogurt.
  • Garnish each serving with diced onion, diced cucumber, a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds and a sprig of parsley.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Gazpacho should be very creamy so I recommend using a high powered blender or immersion blender to puree this soup. 
 
Nutritional information is created by online calculators and the figures are only estimates.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 85mg | Potassium: 746mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @ATasteForTravel or tag #ATasteForTravel!

Save to Pinterest! 

Collage of two photos of beet gazpacho in white bowls with text overlay.
« Vegetarian White Bean Soup (Caldo Gallego)
Hilachas – Guatemalan Shredded Beef Stew »
269 shares
  • Facebook
  • Email

About Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.

Previous Post: «Instant Pot white bean soup in a white bowl on a wooden tray. Vegetarian White Bean Soup (Caldo Gallego)
Next Post: Hilachas – Guatemalan Shredded Beef Stew Guatemalan hilachas in a yellow bowl with a wooden spoon.»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cpg

    June 27, 2023 at 8:32 am

    5 stars
    Delicious and different- love it. Will make again

    Reply
  2. Chloe

    February 09, 2021 at 3:14 am

    5 stars
    This looks so delicious, I’m going to try it at the weekend with dairy free yoghurt!

    Reply
  3. Addison

    February 08, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    5 stars
    These flavors are so unique and delicious!

    Reply
  4. Julia

    February 08, 2021 at 5:38 pm

    5 stars
    Ooh, I never know what to do with beets besides putting them in salads. Thanks for sharing this, this was delicious and such a beautiful color.

    Reply
5 from 43 votes (39 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Popular Posts

  • Sargassum seaweed in Cancun 2018
    Insider’s Guide to Seaweed Conditions in Cancun and Riviera Maya (in 2025)
  • Seeing flamingos is a top thing to do in Aruba.
    30 Best Things to Do in Aruba (10 Free!)
  • Overhead shot of Guatemala National Dish Pepian de Pollo
    Pepián de Pollo – Guatemalan Spiced Chicken Stew
  • No Sargassum seaweed on Grand Anse Beach Grenada
    10 Best Caribbean Beaches Without Seaweed (in 2025)
  • View of cruise port and Paradise Island Nassau Bahamas.
    15 Bucket List Things to Do in Nassau, Bahamas
  • A tray of tortellini skewer appetizers to take on a boat.
    27 Best Boating Snacks To Enjoy This Summer

Sun Destination Travel & Food

  • Swimming pool at Breathless Riviera Cancun Credit Sue Campbell
    10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Cancun and Riviera Maya (in 2025)
  • Beautiful beach bar on Bonaire in Dutch Caribbean.
    10 Unforgettable Beach Bars in Bonaire
  • Young man holding a dorado fish in a Puerto Escondido restaurant.
    21 Best Restaurants in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca (2025)
  • Swim at Ciolo Bridge
    15 Reasons to Put Santa Maria di Leuca on Your Bucket List
  • View of one of the bays in Huatulco Oaxaca.
    26 Bucket List Things to Do in Huatulco, Oaxaca
  • A pontoon tour is one of the top things to do in Bacalar, Mexico.
    Bacalar is Mexico’s Coolest Town. Here’s Why!

Michele Peterson in Tuscany Italy Credit Insight Vacations.

Hi! I'm Michele, publisher of A Taste for Travel, one of the world’s top culinary travel blogs, welcoming over 2 million readers annually! 

Along with a team of expert travel writers, enthusiastic eaters and skilled photographers, we help readers plan incredible adventures and make delicious global recipes at home.

More about us →

Booking.com

Site Footer

Follow A Taste for Travel

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2016–2025 A Taste for Travel

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.