Gazpacho is one of my favorite “soups” in the world.  It’s best when you make it in the Summer, when the tomatoes are delicious and very ripe. Don’t skip the step of peeling and seeding the tomatoes, that will make the final product much sweeter and delicious.  I serve it in chilled bowls, just place them in the freezer for an hour or more and they will keep the “soup” nice and chill!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes (ripe romas, vine ripened or heirloom will be good)
• Tomato juice or clamato
• 1 cucumber see ded and diced
• 1 bell pepper seeded and diced
• 1/2 onion dice d (red onion is good)
• 1  jalapeño ch ile minced (you can seed it for less heat, not include it at all)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1-2 tbsp of balsami c vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce – a couple dashes to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
• 2 slices of day-old bread or about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to taste
• chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, whatever you have), don’t chop until right before serving

Process:

Peel and seed the tomatoes.  The easy way to do this is to boil a pot of water.  With a sharp knife make an X shape on the tomato skin on the opposite side of the stem belly button.  Place them in the boiling water for 15-25 seconds depending on the size of the tomatoes.  Then put them in an ice-water bath or run them through very cold water.  They will be easy to peel then as the skin will just curl off.  Then cut them in half or quarters and squeeze the seeds out.  This is is an extra step but it will make a difference on the texture and flavor of your finished gazpacho.  I promise!

Put the chopped veggies (onion, green pepper, cucumber and jalapeño) in a bowl and mix.

In a blender or food processor put the tomatoes, half of the veggie mix from the previous step, tomato juice, garlic, olive oil, lime, vinegar,

Place the tomato juice, oil, salt, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and the bread or breadcrumbs.  Puree all the ingredients into a smooth mix.  Pour this into the bowl with the other chopped vegetables.  Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight if making ahead. Before serving check for seasoning and adjust as necessary (salt, pepper, lime, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, etc… some times I even put in a couple dashes of tabasco if the jalapeño is not doing its job).

Serve in chilled bowls with a swirl of olive oil and the chopped herbs sprinkled on top.   Serve and enjoy!