Roasted Garlic Gazpacho

roasted-garlic-gazpacho

Ingredients

  • 8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 English or hothouse cucumber, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks (do not peel)
  • 5 cups tomato juice, such as Campbells’s (not the low sodium)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, best quality such as Colavita or Lucini
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, best quality such as Pompeian Gourmet
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium heat; cook, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool, then remove skins (they should slip right off) and scrape off any char.
  2. Add the peeled roasted garlic to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse, scraping down sides as necessary, until garlic is finely puréed. Add the chopped tomatoes and pulse until coarsely chopped. Do not overmix; the soup should be slightly chunky. Transfer the tomato mixture to an extra large bowl. Add the red bell peppers and cucumbers to the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped; add to the bowl with the tomato mixture. Stir in the tomato juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and chill until ready to serve. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. Serve cold.