Tomato, Avocado, 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. More traditional Spanish versions of this refreshing soup are made using bread to add texture, I have chosen to omit this as I prefer the texture achieved with this recipe. For my version, 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 (or working in batches), 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 herbed 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

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.