Green Grape Heirloom and Avocado Gazpacho

I’m finally at the end of the Tomato Summer Tour 2010. The last recipe of the evening was Green Grape Heirloom Tomato and Avocado Gazpacho.

I know lots of bloggers eat and make gazpacho on a regular basis, so I was excited to see what this option would taste like. I’ve ordered gazpacho in restaurants, just never made it myself. Now I’m kicking myself – it’s so dang easy to make and perfect for a hot weather/summer meal.

The Ingredients:

25-30 Green Grape Heirloom Tomatoes
2 Cucumbers  – peeled, seeded, and diced
2 Limes – juiced
1/2- 1 Cup Chicken or Veggie Stock – Chef Terese used Chicken – I’d use veggie to make it vegetarian.
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
1 Small Jalapeño
2 Green Onions – sliced, including green tops
2 Ripe Avocados – add extra virgin olive oil if the avocados aren’t ripe enough – it makes them creamier.
Salt and Pepper to taste – 1/2 a teaspoon at least
Croutons, Cilantro and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for garnish

Directions:
In a blender, puree cucumbers, tomatoes, lime juice, 1/2 cup broth, 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, jalapeño, green onions, and 1 of the avocados, diced. Season to taste, with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours or until the next day.

To serve, thin gazpacho with additional broth if desired. Dice remaining avocado finely and add to gazpacho base. Pour into bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and croutons and top with a swirl of extra virgin olive oil.

I really liked it. Kristen, my cooking class partner in crime, would have rather had tortilla chips to dip into it.  She isn’t a fan of cold soups in general, but in her defense, it did taste a little like salsa verde. It was pretty acidic and everyone at the table stopped eating after 3-4 spoonfuls.

I’ve seen green, white, red – smooth, thick and chunky gazpacho soups. Some recipes use bell peppers, onion, lemon, and other fruits. I guess it’s like other soup recipes, lots and lots of variations.

Do you have a favorite gazpacho recipe to share?

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5 comments

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    • Jessica on August 24, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    At the risk of sounding “braggy,” I have never had a gazpacho that I like better than the one I make at home:

    3-4 large tomatoes, cut into chunks, seeds removed
    1 cucumber, sliced lengthwise, seeds removed with a spoon
    1 large bunch of cilantro
    2 large red bell peppers, cut into chunks, seeded
    1 large avocado, peeled and pitted (duh)
    a few drops of tabasco
    salt and pepper to taste

    Add ingredients to a food processor, one by one, and pulse until coarse and chunky. Chill. Serve with a side of tortilla chips or hummus w/ pita.

    1. More tomato, less avo, red bell peppers and tabasco….got it! Sounds delicious and Kristen would even get her tortilla chips. 😉 Thanks for sharing your recipe Jess!

    • Hilly on August 24, 2010 at 4:26 pm

    I wonder if it would make a good dip. It looks super yummy to put on maybe something else with a Mexican flare.

    • kristen on August 25, 2010 at 9:15 am

    Yep, I couldn’t get over the feeling that I was eating a bowl of salsa…without the chips! It would be a good dip or sauce served over chicken/fish/scrambled eggs, but definitely not a soup!

    1. Yes, served over chicken would be good. I was also thinking rice, that would be awesome! Plus, you can never go wrong with chips 😉

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