by Charles Myers, chef/owner of Big Sky Cafe
(six to eight servings)
I’ve run across many different kinds of gazpacho, from the cold “Campbell’s tomato soup” type in U.S. Spanish restaurants, to the ultra-pureed blender gazpachos that are like vegetable smoothies, and on to the flavorful, crisp, bright-tasting ones around Valencia, served with a big, garlicky crouton on top.
At Big Sky Cafe we use the following highly requested recipe I developed years ago as a middle path. Balancing the extremes of American gazpacho with the authentic versions I’ve had in Spain, it’s like a salad in a soup bowl. The olive oil accounts for the entire fat content, so you may be tempted to eliminate it. But without it, the recipe pales.
1 cup fresh Roma tomatoes, diced (you may use two or three kinds or colors of tomatoes)
1 cup cucumbers, seeded, peeled, and diced
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes and juice (you may subtitute fresh tomatoes)
1/2 cup each red peppers, green peppers, and red onions, all finely diced
2 cups tomato juice
Stir the above ingredients together. Place one-third of this mixture in the bowl of a food processor, and puree. Then add that back to the unpureed portion, and season it all with:
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons any quality red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce to taste.
