Tangy Green Zebra Gazpacho
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
2 lbs Green Zebra tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped, plus 1 Green Zebra tomato cut into small wedges for garnish
1 seedless cucumber, unpeeled and coarsely chopped, plus finely diced unpeeled cucumber for garnish
1 medium sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 Hass avocado-halved, pitted and peeled
1 small jalapeno, stemmed and seeded
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbsp mint leaves, plus more for garnish
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
In a blender, combine half each of the coarsely chopped green tomatoes, cucumber and onion with the avocado, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice and 1 cup of cold water and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large bowl.
Add the remaining coarsely chopped green tomatoes, cucumber and onion to the blender along with the 2 tablespoons of mint, the cilantro and 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse to a chunky puree. Add the puree to the bowl and stir well. Refrigerate the soup until well chilled, about 1 hour.
Season the gazpacho with salt and pepper and ladle it into chilled bowls. Garnish the cold soup with the tomato wedges, diced cucumber, mint leaves and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Make Ahead The green gazpacho can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated overnight.
Serves 10.
Recipe by Katie Lee, foodandwine.com.