Gazpacho Recipes with V8? Yay or Nay?

[Lorax]

I am having a girlfriend over for lunch tomorrow. We live about an hour apart and usually don't get to see each other very much. However, she recently began working from home and since I'm currently without a job, we started this monthly lunch club thing. It's my turn to host.

I have decide to serve gazpacho and avocados stuffed with shrimp salad. I have tried many recipes for gazpacho and they are all good, but always seem to be lacking something. I can't figure it out since most recipes for gazpacho are pretty similar.

I did a search on the board for gazpacho recipes. It seems some people use V8 juice instead of tomato juice. What is your opinion on the V8 juice? Does it add that "something" to the soup? Normally, I dislike V8 juice. (Then again, I didn't like tomatoes until I had one fresh from the garden as an adult. What a difference?) Is the V8 juice a strong taste in the gazpacho or just kind of like a subtle background?

Some recipes call for bread crumbs. I've never done that. Maybe that is the "something missing"?

[The empressof all]

1. I love V8

I always make gazpacho with it. I use the Spicy kind. With all the additions to the soup the V8 taste is muted but it's still there IMO

[grasswire]

2. I always use V8 for gazpacho

I enhance the V8 base by whirling it in the blender with some of the veggies I will use in the soup. Just to make it thicker and a bit more substantial. Then I put in all the diced veggies and other ingredients and chill.

It just makes sense to start with a flavorful base.

[grasswire]

3. as far as the "something missing" is considered...

...do you put a little splash of EVOO in your gazpacho? That can be an added flavor boost, too.

There are so many variations of gazpacho. It might be hard to pinpoint what you think it *should* taste like. Was the right taste found in a restaurant experience? If that's the case, maybe it was more salty than what you are making at home.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

4. Want to try a REALLY different kind of gazpacho?

I discovered this one about 30 years ago in a vegetarian cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure, and have fixed it ever since - it also freezes wonderfully.

And if good tomatoes aren't available, good canned tomatoes work very well.

V8 or tomato juice, I've used both - no significant difference. But this gazpacho will knock your socks off - have lots of croutons on hand, to toss into it..........

GAZPACHO

1 small onion, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, chopped
1 small red or green pepper, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup vinegar
1 cup tomato juice
1 - 2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. brown sugar
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
salt
1 tsp. dill weed
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
4 to 5 sprigs watercress

Garnish:
1 large, firm tomato
1 red or green pepper
1 cucumber
croutons (optional)
watercress sprigs

Puree all the vegetables in a blender, together with the eggs, oil, vinegar and tomato juice. Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the mayonnaise and watercress, and empty it into a pot. Heat very slowly, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, and simmer the mixture this way for no longer than 2 or 3 minutes. Take it off the heat and continue stirring with the whisk occasionally as it cools. Add the mayonnaise and put back in the blender – at high speed – for a very short time. Pour into a tureen or serving bowl and chill. Sprinkle the chopped watercress leaves over the top before serving.

In a separate bowl, pass the garnishes.

[Warpy]

5. V8 will give you more depth of flavor

but just realize it's a cooked product, too, so you're not really getting a true gazpacho.

You might like it better than a true gazpacho, though.

[Lorax]

6. I'm not sure what the missing "something" was.

The best gazpacho I ever had was at an old work acquaintance's house. She had invited me over for lunch and knitting with her knitting group. She made gazpacho and quiche for lunch. The gazpacho was incredible. It had a very big bright tomato taste. I know that sounds stupid, gazpacho is tomato based of course it tasted like tomatoes. But there was something very bright about the taste. Unfortunately that was 10 years ago and I've lost touch with her. I should have asked her for the recipe then but I didn't. Live and learn.

I have never been able to duplicate that taste in my own attempts at making gazpacho. I think I might have been putting too much onion in mine. Maybe the onion was cancelling out the tomato taste too much.

I'm going to try the V8 and adding olive oil along with holding back a bit on the onion.

[supernova]

7. Instead of vinegar, I'd use lemon or lime juice

for extra zing!

And a dash or two per glass of worchestershire sauce as well as cayenne pepper.

V8 as a base is very good. If you're worried about salt, get the low sodium one.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. If you don't like V8, don't use it in your gazpacho.

JMHO. Why risk ruining the batch?

I settled on a recipe that calls for bread crumbs and no tomato juice and found that I liked it much better-- everything tastes fresher. I also add some fruity olive oil just before serving and that adds to the flavor.

[Coyote_Bandit]

9. Since we are talking about gazpacho

I have to ask if anyone here make it without including the cucumber.

I like the cucumber but, alas, it does not like me. I've been playing with various combinations for gazpacho that do not include the cukes but haven't found anything that I'm particularly happy with.

Thought I'd ask and see if anyone here has done the same experiment.

[supernova]

10. Sure you can

gazpacho is pretty forgiving in terms of the bulkier veggies you can use. You can try squash, it's similar but really has no flavor.

[Coyote_Bandit]

14. I think maybe I will have to try gazpacho

with squash instead of cukes and with the spicy V8 and some added garlic.

It seems bland to me without the cukes - so maybe adding a spicy hot garlicky kind of flavor will give it the kick it seems to lack otherwise.....

[The empressof all]

12. Have you tried the English Cucumbers

They have fewer seeds and a little more...burpless.

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. Thanks for the suggestion

I haven't tried them. I will look for them in the store to see if they are available here in this little berg....

[Gormy Cuss]

17. Another way to add the cukes with less burp factor is to seed them.

Cut in half lengthwise then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. My friends with cuke problems say this helps.

[lisa58]

11. Spicy V8 - I use it all the time...

....with tomatoes from the garden

[tiddlywinks]

15. i know it s' after the fact but

both myself and my mother have used Clamato for gazpacho, spaghetti sauce, it definitely gives tomato preparations an interesting edge.

[NashVegas]

16. I Prefer Tomato Juice

and moreso, organic. Campbell's will do.

But you'd better have it half-done by now.