Summer Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 3 lbs on-the-vine tomatoes (approx. 10 tomatoes), quartered and deseeded (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons jalapeño (1 medium jalapeño), finely chopped
• 1/8 cup red onion (approx. 1/4 medium red onion), roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic (approx. 2 cloves), pressed
• 2 cups English cucumber (approx. 1 cucumber), peeled, deseeded, and cut into medium pieces
• 1 1/3 cup red pepper (approx. 1 large pepper), stem and seeds removed, roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Finely diced chives for garnish

Directions

1. Place all vegetables in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. Set a colander over a deep bowl and pour the vegetables into the colander, reserving the liquid. Set the liquid aside.
3. Spread the vegetables evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes or until partially frozen.
4. Remove from the freezer and let thaw completely.
5. Blend the thawed vegetables, reserved liquid, olive oil, sherry vinegar, and black pepper in a high-speed blender for up to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Pour the blended soup through a colander into a large bowl, using a spatula to press the soup through and remove any tough tomato or red pepper skins.
7. Serve chilled with a sprinkle of fresh chives. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.