With the warm weather coming upon us, I felt more like a cold soup rather than a hot one for lunch.  However, all of the gazpacho soup recipes that I found called for the beautiful late summer fresh tomatoes which are obviously not here yet.  I adapted this recipe from one of Alton Browns on the Food Network site and I think it’s just as good as it would be, if not better, with the home grown tomatoes.  I think it’s the just the right combination of spices and textures.  You could easily halve or double the recipe based on the number of servings you’d like to make.

Gazpacho

8 servings

3 cans diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
2 cups cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup chopped bell pepper (I like to use yellow, but you could use red or orange)
1 cup chopped red onion
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced
4 tsps. balsamic vinegar
4 tsps. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Transfer 3 cups to a blender and puree.  Return to the bowl and stir.  Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Tags: cold soup, tomatoes