Gazpacho is a cold tomato soup that is combined with other fresh vegetables. Historically, the soup included torn up bread and was very popular in Spain and Portugal. It’s thought that Gazpacho was invented in Seville, Spain, and was traditionally served at the end of the meal. Now you can find Gazpacho all over Europe, the United States and many other places. I remember the first time I had this soup. It was the summer of 1979 in Madrid at a historic restaurant called Casa Botin. While having our dinner there, we learned that this was Ernest Hemingway’s favorite place to dine in 1926 while he was writing the novel “The Sun Also Rises.” Salud!
Fill a large pot half full of water and add salt. Set over high heat to a boil. Make an X with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes.
Drop both tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Turn the tomatoes over and boil an additional 20 seconds.
Using as large slotted spoon (or strainer), remove the tomatoes from the boiling water onto a plate and allow them to cool for a minute. You are now done with the pot on the stove. Pat the tomatoes dry with a paper towel. The outside will peel easily. Cut the tomatoes into 4 wedges. Core the tomatoes by cutting off the seeds. Cube the red tomatoes.
In a large mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, tomato juice, cucumbers, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, garlic, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, salt, pepper and 3 tablespoons of the parsley.
Mix well with a wooden spoon
Measure out 1½ cups of the gazpacho mixture and puree until smooth in a blender. Return the pureed mixture back in the big bowl and stir. Add the corn and cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve. This sounds like a lot of ingredients but it really is easy. I like to garnish with cubes of avocado and parsley and serve with bread! This makes 6-8 servings.