Classic Gazpacho (with optional toppings bar)

A toppings bar where everyone can choose his or her favorite add-ins is always a hit. To keep it simple, consider offering two or three of your favorites along with one of the proteins mentioned.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes cups* (about 5 cups; no need to peel or seed)
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 bell pepper, seeds removed (green is traditional but any color or a mix is fine)
1 small red onion (about 5 ounces) or 1/2 a large onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled** (or more to taste)
1/4 cup olive oil (a fruity variety is nice, but use what you have)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I recommend a good quality vinegar)
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (offers good flavor without heat)
Traditional topping options: croutons, chopped cucumber, green pepper, tomato, and onion
Topping options to make it a meal (or a party): cooked shrimp, lump crabmeat, chopped cooked chicken, chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped avocado, sliced green olives, slivered toasted almonds, fresh herbs, Greek yogurt or tzatziki sauce, lemon/lime/orange wedges and/or zest (see my favorite combinations, below)

Roughly chop the cucumber, pepper, onion, and garlic. Place all of these vegetables in the bowl of a food processor. (I put the chopped garlic on top so it is less likely to get stuck under the blade.) Pulse to finely chop the vegetables, scraping down the sides once or twice. Do not puree. You want a little texture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Roughly chop the tomatoes, and place in the food processor. (No need to rinse the work bowl.) Puree until smooth. (You can keep a little chunkiness to the tomatoes if you like, but I like to keep this part on the smoother side.) Add to the cucumber mixture.
Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or, ideally, overnight.
Serve with desired toppings.

*Where the tomatoes are concerned, the fresher the better and any kind will work. I like to include at least some plum (Roma) tomatoes, as they are naturally less liquidy and will create a thicker sauce (or, in this case, soup).
**For a smoother garlic taste, remove the green root that is often present on a garlic clove.
If you prefer gazpacho that is completely smooth, you may pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.

–Classic: Green pepper, red onion, and cucumber
–Crabmeat, avocado, and roasted corn
–Shrimp, feta cheese, and green olives
–Hard-boiled egg, capers, and red onion
–Plain Greek yogurt (or your favorite tzatziki sauce), cucumber, chopped almonds, and lemon zest
Extra note: I have made this recipe many times over the years but prepared it last summer using all grape tomatoes–thanks to a rather prolific plant in our garden. Because the miniature tomatoes are so sweet, I nearly doubled the amount of red wine vinegar. (Do make any adjustments to the vinegar slowly.) After the flavors melded for a day, it was delicious. As is typical with gazpacho, it tasted even better after two days. The recipe, written as is, is a keeper. I mention simply as an option for those who find themselves with a whole lot of grape tomatoes!