Cucumbers + Tomatoes = Gazpacho
So I have a lot of cucumbers and tomatoes from my garden. I figured I would do the obvious when you have too many tomatoes and cucumbers and since it's 90 degrees outside I decided to make gazpacho. I started with Ina Garten's recipe on the Food Network and while it's perfectly edible and tastes good I feel it's missing something. What are your tips / secret ingredients for gazpacho?
I was thinking of adding either some hot peppers, olives, or maybe some anchovies but I wanted to see if anyone else had some outside the recipe box type ideas.
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7 Comments:
smoked paprika makes an excellent addition
derosa at 9:33AM on 08/10/09
Not sure of Ina's recipe, but sometimes I add worcestershire sauce and a squeeze of lemon, other times I add toasted cumin seeds and a bit of white wine vinegar. Mild onions and a big of green herb like cilantro or parsley. Always a big drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and usually a couple of shrimp on top.
Bumblebutton at 10:06AM on 08/10/09
to me, gazpacho just tastes like sofrito... a base seasoning for food.
I would take those cucumbers and tomatoes and make a great middle eastern or greek salad. Or maybe even try some tzatziki?? i think you'll have better and more delicious results...
MadelynRodriguez at 5:23PM on 08/10/09
My husband makes the best gazpacho I've ever had (no, that's not a euphemism!)... His "secret" ingredient is Knudsen spicy vegetable juice. He uses it as the base, then purees tomatoes, cukes, et al and adds them to the juice. Then he dices more tomatoes, cukes and avocado and stirs that in, usually with a splash of lemon or lime juice. It's AMAZING. One of my favorite summertime meals. Sometimes with a side of steak :)
CookiePie at 5:31PM on 08/10/09
Love gazpacho (as tomatoes are my favorites) and make it several ways.
One version includes Greek yogurt for a bit of creaminess and some dill and vidalia onion to awaken the senses :)
I've also added red onions and garlic to this great summer soup.
orchidgirl at 9:41AM on 08/11/09
I took a look at that recipe. I would take it easy with the oil and vinegar. You are not making salad dressing here. A tablespoon of each would be more than enough, it seems to me.
A vegetable juicer is a great kitchen appliance to have. Fresh squeezed tomato juice tastes so much better than bottled in a recipe like this. I made 3 qts. of fresh watermelon juice with mine yesterday.
salpico at 10:08AM on 08/11/09
I made a gazpacho this weekend - greek style. I included about 3tbl fresh oregano and kalamata olives. When you are serving, sprinkle the top with feta cheese. (inspired from Ina Garten)
She paired the gazpacho with a greek nicoise salad platter with roasted salmon in a dijon sauce instead of tuna. It was divine.
lntyrrell at 12:47PM on 08/11/09