Dad Y's Chunky Gazpacho Soup

We have enjoyed this greatly during summer months as the seasonal local vegetables come in. It’s great as a main course or appetizer with other summer dishes. It is frequently a staple on Wolf Trap or other picnic events. This recipe was developed by combining the recipes from the Joy of Cooking and Betty Crocker Cookbooks.

Liquid Base:
1 Large Can/Bottle of V-8 Juice (64 oz) can use low sodium if you want.
3 T Olive Oil
¼ cup Red Wine
Worcestershire Sauce-to taste (4-6 T)
Tabasco-to taste (2-3 t)
2 beef bouillon cubes (not critical)

Vegetables:
4-5 Tomatoes-cut in small pieces
1-2 Lg Cucumber-peeled, sliced and cut slices in quarters
2-3 Lg peppers-cut in bit size pieces (Yellow, Green, and Red)
1 Large Onion (sweet-Vidalia)-cut in bit size pieces

Herbs (to taste):
Parsley
Sage
Tarragon
Garlic
Basil
Black Ground Pepper

Chop vegetables in small, bite size pieces

Pour liquid base in large cook pot, put on Low-medium heat;
Add Vegetables and Herbs, stir

Cook for approximately 10-20 minutes

Cool, and then chill before serving. Add croutons, fresh parsley and sour cream as garnish on top.

The nice thing about this soup of Spanish origin, is that it can be prepared in advance (actually gets better each day!), is a wonderful summer soup, can be adjusted to individual tastes by adding favored herbs or other ingredients. I emphasize the cooking of the broth as I believe this blends the ingredients-some recipes will skip this. Additionally,, you can put mixture in a blender for a smooth texture as some advise-we like the chunky style. Enjoy!