Gazpacho
- Tracy Scheckel
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Served cold and made from a blend of raw, fresh vegetables, gazpacho is traditionally from Andalusia in southern Spain and is one of my favorite summer dishes. The basic ingredients for the cold soup are tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions with garlic,seasonings and vinegar to give it some depth of flavor.
I, of course, like to play around with ingredients and seasonings, so over the years my gazpacho has evolved into a blend of the traditional of southern Spain with some Mexican influence. On occasion, I've added black beans to provide some additional protein, lime juice and cilantro to add that Mex flair, and discovered the benefit of having some V-8 on hand.
When I prepared the recipe for the photos for this post, I kept with some Mex seasonings and included corn kernels for some additional sweetness. The dish is essentially a puree of a bunch of really refreshing summer veggies. It can be served with croutons or crusty French bread. When I go the Mex route, I like to serve tortilla chips and guacamole on the side.
THE RECIPE:
1-2 lb seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
3-4 scallions chopped: keep the tops separate from the bulbs
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 C diced green pepper
1/2 C diced red pepper
1 English cucumber cut into 1/4 to 1/2" chunks
1 - 12 OZ can of V-8
1 C finely chopped cilantro
1 C frozen corn kernels
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 C wine vinegar
Salt / pepper to taste
Combine the tomatoes, chopped scallion bulbs, garlic and peppers in a large mixing bowl.
Spoon about half of the mixture into a blender or food processor and add 1/2 the can of V-8.
Puree the mixture and return it to the mixing bowl.
Deepening on how chunky you like your gazpacho, you can repeat the process with some more of the mix and the remaining V-8 or simply add the remaining V-8
Stir in the corn kernels and chunked cucumber
Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve the sugar
Stir the cilantro and sugar and vinegar mixture into the gazpacho.
Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Transfer the soup to a an air-tight container and add the sliced scallion tops
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve -- at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
