Is it gazpacho...or is it salsa? Hmmmm...I almost couldn't tell.This week's Barefoot Bloggers challenge, chosen by Meryl of My Bit of Earth, was Gazpacho. Ina says that she thinks her gazpacho "should be chunky and spicy, but not hot, and never pureed or it will taste like V-8 in a bowl." Well, as delicious as this recipe is, I think it tastes like mild salsa...in a bowl.
I did notice that Penny over at Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen added shrimp to hers...and I think that is an amazing addition. Grilled shrimp or chicken would go beautifully, but again...it is just so salsa-ish that it's hard for me to eat like soup. I'm pretty sure that the mondo batch of gazpacho in my fridge will soon get one more pureed veggie added to it (some jalapenos) ...along with some cilantro and a dash of lime juice. Then I'm just gonna dip tortilla chips in and eat the rest this way.
Gazpacho
slightly adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
2 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
3 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
8 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
46 ounces (6 cups) tomato juice or V-8
1/2 c. white wine or champagne vinegar
1/2 c. good olive oil
1 Tbs. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black or white pepper
Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell pepper, tomatoes and red onions. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Do not over process! After each vegetable is processed, combine in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer the gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.
So, this gazpacho is tasty, but I think I actually prefer mine smooth...at least with these ingredients in particular. If it was more cucumber based, I may not mind the chunks, as it would seem less like salsa (which I love, by the way). Be sure to head over to visit more Barefoot Bloggers and see their takes on Ina's Gazpacho!
