With the super-abundance of fresh tomatoes and other veggies right now, there’s no better way to blend them all together than by making a delicious gazpacho.
Although the recipe has a lot of ingredients and may seem complicated, it really isn’t. Be sure to chill the soup well before serving. 🙂
2 1/2 lbs tomatoes
1 lb cucumbers
12 oz green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
4 slices french bread, crusts removed (about 3 oz)
3 tb chopped garlic
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
5 tb red wine vinegar
3 tb salt
1 cup spring water, if needed
Garnish:
1 cup diced cucumber
Place tomatoes, a few at a time, into boiling water for a minute or less. Drain them, then plunge them into cold water. Peel and core them and chop coarsely. You should end up with about 4 1/2 cups.
Core, seed, and chop the bell peppers. Peel and seed the cucumbers, then dice them.
Cut bread into cubes, and soak them in water until softened, about five minutes. Squeeze out excess water.
Mix all vegetables with the bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and some pepper in large bowl. In batches, puree mixture in a blender. You can also use an immersion blender if you have one. If you like a smoother gazpacho, blend throughly. If you like it chunky, then blend less. If it seems too thick, add water until you reach the consistency you like.
When gazpacho is blended, taste it and adjust seasoning. Chill soup throughly in refrigerator at least four hours. Serve in chilled bowls, with garnish.
