Gazpacho

And now to finish off page 129 of GH Illustrated.

Gazpacho is kind of like a soup version of salsa.  You can make it as mild or hot as you want.  And the best part is you just chop the veggies into smallish chunks and toss them in the blender.  Takes about five minutes to make.

This soup, being all veggies, is considered a first-course soup.  I have made it into a main dish by adding cooked fish, chicken, lentils, or the wanna-be crab in the photo.  Served with bread or chips on the side, it is a refreshing lunch on a hot day.

I used low-sodium V8 instead of tomato juice to add a touch of complexity.  And because there wasn't any low-sodium tomato juice available.  Just leaving it out there as an option.

And I got to use my own tomatoes!

3 C tomato juice
2 Tb olive oil
1 lb tomatoes
1 cucumber, peeled
1/2 onion
1 small green pepper
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 small jalapeño (optional)

1.  Chop all veggies into pieces no larger than 1-1/2".  Working in two or three batches, purée veggies, juice, and oil in blender.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Pour into large serving bowl.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Difficulty rating  π