Avocado Gazpacho

Ingredients

Gazpacho

• 2 large or 3 small, perfectly ripe avocadoes
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1 green bell pepper, hulled and deseeded
• 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, hulled and deseeded
• 1 Spanish onion, skinned
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 pint cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Small bunch fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime or lemon

To serve

• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 lime, quartered
• Kosher salt
• Chilled tequila (optional)

Instructions

1. Skin, halve, and stone avocadoes.
2. Roughly chop cucumber, bell pepper, chile, onion and garlic; put them in blender (or vegetable juicer, if available) with the water and process thoroughly.
3. Strain, pressing well to extract all the juices.
4. Return strained liquid to blender with avocado flesh, cilantro leaves (leaving a few for decoration), lime juice and salt. Process to puree, adjust seasoning.
5. Serve chilled, topped with a dollop of sour cream, lime quarters and kosher salt. Accompany with small glasses of tequila, either to sip with lime and salt, or to stir directly into the soup (optional).