Barefoot Blogger: Gazpacho

I decided to make the gazpacho yesterday since I had the day off and I could make it and let it cool for several hours. And I have to say I'm torn on the recipe. I loved the flavor (even though I brilliantly halved every ingridient except the garlic. Oops.) but it felt lacking. I think if I had thought to add some protein with it it would be perfect. Either grilled shrimp or chicken would be great. Instead I just served it with a garlic breadstick (yeah, vampires beware).

(What is too processed?)

Gazpacho

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.