CONFESSION: This is the first gazpacho recipe I’ve truly ever liked!
Cold soup is not my first choice when I see it on a menu at a restaurant, but I promise, this one is different. I’m not sure if it’s the saturated party pumpernickel bread, the saltiness of the olives and creamy avocados, the crunch of the celery, cucumber, and green pepper, or the three different vinegars, but this recipe is delicious. It’s like a fancy bloody Mary in a bowl, minus the vodka. (Hmmm…something to consider.)
My mother-in-law, Beverly Register, passed this recipe on to me from her friend Sarah Ellen Archie, from New Bern, North Carolina. I’m not sure where Sarah Ellen got the recipe, but it’s definitely worth sharing with anyone you know.
“The best recipes are ones that are worthy of crossing state lines.”
With the heat index at 100 degrees, I can’t think of a better week to post this tried-and-true summer delicacy.
Bev’s Gazpacho
Makes 3 ½ quarts
½ (16-ounce) loaf party pumpernickel bread (diced)
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup tarragon vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Dice 1 cup each:
Green onions
Green pepper
Cucumber
Celery
Cherry tomatoes
Green olives
64 ounces tomato juice, such as V8
Parsley, basil, and garlic to taste, chopped into small pieces, extra for garnish
Avocado (right before serving)
Olive oil
In a large (LARGE) bowl, combine all but the last two ingredients. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Add diced avocado and drizzle with olive oil right before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Leslie Byars Register
Yields 3 1/2 quarts
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Ingredients
- ½ (16-ounce) loaf party pumpernickel bread (diced)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup tarragon vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup diced green onions
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced green olives
- 64 ounces tomato juice, such as V8
- Parsley, basil, and garlic to taste, chopped into small pieces, extra for garnish
- Avocado (right before serving)
- Olive oil
Instructions
- In a LARGE bowl, combine all but the last two ingredients.
- Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.
- Add diced avocado and drizzle with olive oil right before serving.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Learn from Leslie: loaf party pumpernickel is the 3-inch square, thinly sliced bread used for appetizers found in most groceries in the bread or deli area.
