Gazpacho

Source: Adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food Book

1 large cucumber, peeled and halved lengthwise and cored to remove seeds, divided
1 large tomatoes, peeled, cored, and seeded, divided
1 green pepper, halved and seeded, divided
3 scallions, chopped
3 cups tomato juice, divided
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or an indeterminate amount of Frank's Hot Sauce)
1/4 teaspoon salt, if desired
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
dash Worcestershire sauce (optional - sometimes I do, sometimes I don't)

In a blender, combine half the cucumber, 1 tomato, half the green pepper, and 1 cup of the tomato juice. Puree the ingredients at high speed.

Chop the remaining cucumber, tomato, green pepper, and scallions. Place the vegetables in a bowl, cover it, and refrigerate it until serving time.

Pour the puree into a large serving bowl or tureen, and add the remaining 2 cups tomato juice, the vinegar, oil, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add chopped vegetables. Refrigerate the gazpacho, covered, for at least 2 hours.

Just before serving the soup, add the reserved chopped vegetables to the puree mixture. Check seasonings before serving and adjust if necessary.

I talked about this recipe HERE.