Gazpacho Soup

By junerodgers

Gazpacho, a Spanish favorite, is a cold soup that's first cousin to a salad and even more refreshing. The base is rip, fresh tomatoes and tomato juice pureed with other salad vegetables--cucumber, pimiento, onion and green pepper--and piquantly flavored with olive oil, vinegar and a touch of Tabasco. Serve it icy cold. On the side, serve small bowls of vegetables used in the soup, chopped, along with crisp garlic croutons, for guests to add themselves.

Ingredients

• 3 med tomatoes (1-3/4 lb)
• 1 large cucumber, pared
• 1 large onion, peeled
• 1 green peper (8 oz)
• 1 canned pimiento, drained
• 2 cans (12-oz size)tomato juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Tabasco
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 slices white bread or 1/2 cup packaged croutons
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and split
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped chives

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prepare vegetables: To peel tomatoes, dip each tomato into boiling water for 1 minute; lift out with slotted utensil. Cut out stem end; peel off skin with paring knife. Or hold tomato on fork over heat just until skin splits and carefully peel off skin with knife.

2. Cut cucumber into cubes. Cut onion in half. Wash green pepper; cut into quarters; remove seeds. In large bowl, combine two of the tomatoes, sliced, and half of the cucumber, onion, and green pepper. Add pimiento and ½ cup tomato juice; toss to combine.

3. Put half of the mixture at a time in electric blender. Blend, covered, at high speed 1 minute, to puree vegetables. Repeat with other half. Chop, separately, remaining tomato, cucumber, onion and green pepper. Refrigerate, covered, each in a small dish.

4. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix pureed vegetables, remaining tomato juice, ⅓ cup olive oil, the vinegar, Tabasco, salt and black pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until very well chilled—3 hours or longer. Refrigerate six serving bowls and a tureen.

5. Cut bread into ¼-inch cubes. Rub inside of a small skillet with garlic; reserve garlic. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat over medium heat. Sauté bread cubes or the croutons in hot oil until crisp and golden. Drain well on paper towels and turn into small dish.

6. To serve, crush reserved garlic into chilled soup, mixing well with wire whisk. Ladle into chilled soup tureen. Sprinkle with chives. On tray, arrange reserved chopped vegetables and croutons to sprinkle over the top of each serving.