Appetizers and Snacks
Tomato, Avocado and Cucumber Gazpacho
It's farmer's market season again finally! This fresh soup can be made from fresh ingredients easily found at your local farmer's market and is great on a hot day, served chilled. Avocado lends the soup an air light, creamy texture while tomato, bell pepper and cumin round out the balance for a truly refreshing bite.
Tips to get you started:
If you decide to use a regular cucumber, I recommend removing all of the peel and seeds before using. To remove the seeds: peel the cucumber, trim off the ends, and cut the whole cucumber lengthwise; using a small spoon scoop out seeds and surrounding membrane
Prep time: 30-45 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Serves: 4 (bowls) or 8 (appetizer sized shooters)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups On the vine tomato, cored, seeded and chopped
1/8 Cup shallots chopped
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
2-3 large fresh basil leaves
1 Cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 Cup cold filtered water
1/8 Teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 Cup avocados, chopped
1/2 Cup red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 Teaspoon cumin, ground
*Extra virgin oil for topping
Part one: In a large capacity blender, combine tomatoes, shallots, avocado, cucumber and water. Blend until smooth, beginning at low speed and working your way up to high speed. About 2 minutes total blending time.
Part two: To the blender with tomato mixture, add your basil, bell pepper, garlic, spices, and vinegar. Blend once more, starting at a low speed and working your way up to blend all ingredients to a smooth texture. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Part three: Chill the gazpacho (I just leave it in the blender bowl with a lid on) for at least 20 minutes prior to serving.
Serving suggestions: Serve in bowls, topped with a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some finely sliced basil. Enjoy with a crusty bread or herb infused focaccia.
Tiny chefs in the house? They can help:
Pull basil leaves off the stems
Measure ingredients
Nutrition information: Calculated for bowl sized serving, includes olive oil drizzle.
Total Calories: 437
Total Fat: 4.3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 357.7 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 93.1 g
Protein: 14.1 g