Gazpacho

This past weekend we had family over for dinner. I debated about what I would make as I knew it was going to be a scorcher. I decided that a cool and refreshing bowl of gazpacho would be a nice starter to the rest of our dinner. Gazpacho is a tomato based raw vegetable soup that is served cold. It's perfect for a hot Summer day! I found this recipe on Elise's Simply Recipes blog (which you should definitely check out) and would certainly make it again! There are many versions of gazpacho. Some don't even use tomatoes, but instead V8 juice. Do you have a favorite gazpacho recipe? Please do share! :)

Gazpacho
Adapted from Simply Recipes

Serves 8

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2 cloves)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice

*Note: I did not "finely" chop all of the ingredients, but instead "chopped". I wanted to achieve an end consistency that would resemble a thick, but chopped soup. Does that make sense?

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly (I used my food processor) to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend. Since my husband and I really enjoy Southwest flavors, I added some Chipotle Chili Pepper spice on our servings. It added a nice smoky flavor with a little kick. Don't like the kick? You could try smoked paprika.

Before I sign off I should comment on two things. One is that I did have a slight fiasco when making the gazpacho. Let's just say, make sure the chopper is fitted properly in the food processor. If it is not and you go to fit it after the fact you could potentially have gazpacho coming out of the bottom of the food processor. It was quite a site! Lastly, you will note a piece of bread in the photo below. Yes, it was 90 degrees and I made bread which required my oven to be at 450 degrees for about an hour. It was sooooooo worth it!