Gazpacho

I want to think that gazpacho was my first run-in with a cold soup – I had to get over my childhood dislike for tomatoes, first.  Now, it’s a staple in my “book” of cool, summertime dishes.  It’s so easy, so simple, so tasty, and so adaptable as to time of serving that I hope it becomes one of your favorites, too. This particular recipe is based on one from the recipes that came with my Vitamix blender. You can make it in other blenders just as well. A blender with a variable speed control works best. NOTE: some ‘authentic” recipes call for crumbled stale bread in the mix; I’ve not done that, and frankly, it doesn’t appeal to me.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups (720 ml) tomato juice
1/3 cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, quartered
1/2 (60 g) small onion, peeled, halved
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, diced
1 dash hot sauce (more, if you like it spicy)
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed, and secure the lid.
Turn machine on to its lowest speed, and slowly increase speed to just over half-way to high.
Blend for 30-45 seconds, until the ingredients are fully combined.
Stop your blender, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

NOTES

While some recipes will tell you to serve the gazpacho immediately, it keeps well in the fridge, and a personal preference is for it to be chilled.

Once blended, if you want something a bit courser, perhaps with some crisp, small chunks of cucumber or tomato, finely dice some cucumber and tomato and serve the gazpacho poured over them.