Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 4 hours - overnight
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 celery stalk, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered
1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnishes:
1/2 baguette, crust removed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced white onion
1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced English cucumber
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 avocado, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup crumbled soft goat cheese
8 sprigs cilantro
Directions:
In batches, puree the garlic, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, tomatoes and jalapeño together in a food processor or blender. Pass the mixture through the medium plate of a food mill set over a large bowl. Stir in the oil, vinegar and Tabasco and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Just before serving, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the bread cubes with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until toasted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet.
To serve, ladle the chilled soup into 8 bowls. Place a bit of bell pepper, onion, cucumber, chopped cilantro and avocado in separate piles in each bowl. Top with toasted bread cubes, a sprinkle of goat cheese and a sprig of cilantro. Serve right away.
CATHY MALLERS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
