One of the biggest time-savers to serve at a dinner party is a cold soup during your cocktail hour or as a first course, and it doesn’t get better than Gazpacho!It’s a perfect make-ahead item that you can keep cold in a pitcher, and then easily pour into a Margarita glass or stemware for a fabulous presentation. Best of all, it will allow you to hang with your guests for a bit before you have to finish up the main course.
3 lbs. red tomatoes on the vine or Roma Tomatoes, diced
3 medium cucumbers, diced
2 small onions, diced
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Reserve some finely diced cucumber, onion, red pepper, and cilantro leaves as a garnish. Add ingredients in proportionate batches into a blender and puree. Pour into a large bowl (or two) and repeat with remaining ingredients. Transfer to a nice pitcher from which to pour when ready to serve,and leave remaining soup in a bowl. Cover pitcher and bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The, pour into stemware and garnish with finely diced reserved toppings.
Makes about 1 gallon
