Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of vine-ripened tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1 cup tomato juice (from the tomatoes you will be boiling)
1 cup cucumber (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 chopped red onion
1/2 green chile, chopped
1 medium garlic clove (minced)
1/4 extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (cut in long, thin strips)
InstructionsÂ
Poach tomatoes
- Fill a 6-quart pot halfway full of water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil.
- Make an “X” with a paring knife on the bottom of the tomatoes.
- Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and transfer to an ice bath and allow to cool until able to handle, approximately 1 minute.
- Remove and pat dry.
- Peel, core, and seed the tomatoes. When seeding the tomatoes, place the seeds and pulp into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl to catch the juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible and then add enough bottled tomato juice to bring the total to 1 cup.
Make gazpacho
- Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, green chile, garlic clove, olive oil, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, cumin, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15-20 seconds on high speed.
- Return pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up overnight. Serve with a chiffonade of basil and avocado.
Photo by Mark Chamberlain. Â