Gazpacho

from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. 

 

Another version:

My Best (and Easy) Gazpacho Recipe

2.5 - 3 pounds fresh tomatoes

1 English cucumber

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 slices bread (stale Italian works well too)

4-5 cloves of garlic

2 tbs. red wine vinegar

1 tbs. sherry

2 fresh basil leaves (optional)

5-6 dashes of Tabasco

salt to taste

olive oil and avocado for garnish (optional)

Roughly chop onions, pepper and cucumber. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

Optional step: You can remove the skins on the tomatoes for a creamier soup but if your pressed for time, you can skip this step. Bring a pot of water to boil. Slice an "x" in the skin of each tomato. Blanch tomatoes in large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain in a colander. Cool under cold running water. Peel tomatoes.

Soak the bread in a few tablespoons of water. Gently remove and "squeeze” dry.

Place the tomatoes, bread, cucumbers, onions, garlic and peppers in a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Add vinegar, sherry and Tabasco. Season with salt to taste. Serve topped with a splash of good olive oil and diced avocado if desired.