Gazpacho with Shrimp

I found this recipe lying on an empty seat in the Minneapolis airport. It was clipped from some newspaper—I think the St. Paul Pioneer Press. I snatched it right up. What a find.

2 1/2 pound tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
2 medium English cucumbers, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper
1 1/2 C V-8
1/2 C water
1/2 C olive oil
1/4 C cooking sherry
1/2 C flat leaf parsley, chopped (curly parsley is too strong)
1-2 T sugar
3 T tomato paste
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne
2-3 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 pound small shrimp

In large bowl, stir together all coarsely chopped ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Working in batches, transfer chilled mixture into food processor. Pulse until soup is coarsely pureed. Repeat as needed with the rest. Stir to blend batches in a large bowl. Taste, adding more salt and pepper or sugar as you like. Cover with plastic and refrigerate several hours. Serve with cold fresh shrimp on top.

Note: I don't know why you have to chill the coarsely chopped ingredients before blending them. I suppose you could omit that step. All I know is, this is the best gazpacho I've ever had because it's so tasty yet so gentle on the stomach.