After years and years of making Gazpacho, from myriad recipes, I think I have come up with “the ultimate”. It combines the best from several recipes, plus a few of my own things thrown in for good measure. The “herbs and spices” tomatoes add a nice touch of seasoning not found in plain tomatoes. As well, the Vidalia onions are almost sweet in flavour, taking some of the edge off of the taste. I purposely didn’t specify how much Tabasco to use. I use a lot when making it for me, but come party time I back off somewhat for the sake of my more sensitive guests! There will be quite a batch when you’re finished, so halving the recipe might be a good idea if there are just a few of you dining.
- three 28 oz. Cans Aylmer’s Tomatoes with Herbs and Spices
- 2 English Cucumbers, peeled
- 2 Vidalia Onions, chopped
- 2 Green Peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
- ½ cup fresh Parsley
- ½ cup Tomato Juice
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- juice of 2 Limes
- ½ Tablespoon freshly ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Paprika
- Tabasco Sauce to taste
- Croutons and Cilantro for garnish
In a food processor, liquify the tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers and parsley and then combine all of this in a large bowl. Stir well. Add to this mixture, the tomato juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, black pepper, paprika and Tabasco and blend thoroughly.
Place the gazpacho in the refrigerator and chill for several hours before serving. Serve in chilled bowls and have the croutons and chopped cilantro ready in a bowl for garnishing. It’s also a good idea to keep the bottle of Tabasco nearby for those of us who enjoy a little extra heat! I’m reminded that the one time my Mother had this soup, she remarked that it could have been hotter. Unfortunately, she wasn’t talking about a lack of Tabasco! “Yeah, Ma. The soup is supposed to be cold!” (Mom didn’t get out much!)