Gazpacho Soup Appetizer

Ingredients:

• 0.7 kg tomatoes on the vine
• Tomato juice
• 1 cup cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 0.5 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 0.5 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 medium clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 0.5 tsp roasted and ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Preparation:

1. Fill a 6-quart saucepan halfway with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Make an X-shaped cut on the bottom of each tomato. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds, then transfer to ice water and cool until handleable, about 1 minute. Remove from the water and pat dry.
3. Peel, core, and seed the tomatoes. While seeding, place the pulp and seeds in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to collect the juice. Squeeze out as much juice as possible, then add enough store-bought tomato juice to make a total of 1 tablespoon.
4. Place the tomatoes and juice in a large bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeño, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.
5. Pour 1.5 cups of the mixture into a blender and blend for 15-20 seconds on high speed. Pour the pureed mixture back into the bowl and blend. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Serve sprinkled with thinly sliced ​​basil.