SPICY GAZPACHO WITH SHRIMP

SPICY GAZPACHO WITH SHRIMP image

Yield 8-10 generous servings

Number Of Ingredients 29

2-1/2 cups finely chopped fresh Roma/plum tomatoes
1-1/4 cups finely chopped, unpeeled and seeded, long English cucumber
1/4 cup each finely chopped green, red and orange bell peppers
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
2/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion - such as Vidalia
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
2 cups fat-free beef broth
juice and fine zest of 1 lemon
juice and fine zest of 1 lime
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon creamy-style horseradish
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
3-1/2 cups spicy V-8 juice
3-1/2 cups spicy Clamato juice
1 tablespoon sugar
fine sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon fresh, coarsely ground pepper
hot pepper sauce to taste
2/3 cup fine, plain bread crumbs
1-1/2 cups small cooked shrimp
GARNISH
sour cream
diced avocado tossed with a squeeze of lemon juice
fine lemon and lime zest

Steps:

In a non-reactive stock pot, gently combine tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, green onions, onion, olive oil, beef broth, lemon and lime juices/zests, sherry vinegar, parsley and cilantro. Place Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, garlic, jalapenos and cooked egg in blender and puree until smooth. Gently stir into vegetable mixture until well combined. Working in batches, puree 1/3 of vegetable mixture in blender until smooth, then add to remaining vegetables in pot. Add V-8, Clamato juice and sugar, and stir gently to combine. Add salt a little at a time, stirring and tasting after each addition until satisfied. Add pepper and a few dashes of hot pepper sauce if desired. Add bread crumbs and stir just until they melt/dissolve into the soup. Lastly, add shrimp and stir gently to combine. Cover and chill in refrigerator 3-4 hours. Ladle gazpacho into chilled bowls, mugs or large stemmed glasses. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream sprinkled with avocado and lemon/lime zest. NOTE: If a vegetarian gazpacho is preferred: Use only V-8 juice, substitute vegetable broth for beef broth, and omit both shrimp and horseradish.