California-Style Gazpacho
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: Monday, April 5, 2010 - 6:04am

Ingredients




1 large cucumber: peeled, seeded and diced
1 large red onion: peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper: seeded and diced
1 large zucchini, diced
6 large tomatoes: peeled seeded and diced (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups tomato juice
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash of Tobasco sauce (optional)

Preparation

1 Set aside about a 1/2 cup each of the diced cucumber, onion, pepper, and zucchini. 2 Toss the remaining ingredients into a blender and puree slightly, so vegetables remain a little chunky. 3 Cover tightly and refrigerate 2-3 hours, or until chilled. 4 Either stir the remaining vegetables into the soup, or arrange on a separate dish to be added individually.

About


This is a lighter version of a traditional gazpacho, which contains bread. It was adapted from Vicki Sebastiani, founder of Viansa Winery in Sonoma, California. You can find it in her wonderful cookbook Cucina Viansa .   Delicious garnished with avocado and chives.