Chunky Gazpacho Garnished with Avocado and Toasted Pepitas
Makes 6 servings
This recipe is from my good friend Adrienne Lufkin, who is a brilliant chef and founder of the granola brand Struesli. In her stunning new cookbook, Savor the Golden Hour: Nantucket-Inspired Summer Recipes for Every Table, she shares recipes rooted in clean, seasonal ingredients and designed to be flexible, and easily woven into everyday life.
This gazpacho starts with a tomato based vegetable juice, then gets loaded with diced summer vegetables, a little jalapeño heat, sherry vinegar, and lemon, before finishing with avocado and toasted pepitas on top. Cool, crunchy, a little spicy, exactly what you want on a warm summer day (or evening) when you don’t feel like turning the oven on.
INGREDIENTS
GAZPACHO BASE
4 cups V8 vegetable juice
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (I like to seed them too)
⅔ English cucumber, diced into small pieces
½ red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
½ yellow bell pepper, diced into small pieces
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ Vidalia onion, diced into small pieces
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (seeds too)
3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
AVOCADO GARNISH
1 large ripe avocado, diced into small pieces
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
TOPPINGS
⅓ cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) (see first tip below)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)
Makes 6 servings
This recipe is from my good friend Adrienne Lufkin, who is a brilliant chef and founder of the granola brand Struesli. In her stunning new cookbook, Savor the Golden Hour: Nantucket-Inspired Summer Recipes for Every Table, she shares recipes rooted in clean, seasonal ingredients and designed to be flexible, and easily woven into everyday life.
This gazpacho starts with a tomato based vegetable juice, then gets loaded with diced summer vegetables, a little jalapeño heat, sherry vinegar, and lemon, before finishing with avocado and toasted pepitas on top. Cool, crunchy, a little spicy, exactly what you want on a warm summer day (or evening) when you don’t feel like turning the oven on.
INGREDIENTS
GAZPACHO BASE
4 cups V8 vegetable juice
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (I like to seed them too)
⅔ English cucumber, diced into small pieces
½ red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
½ yellow bell pepper, diced into small pieces
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ Vidalia onion, diced into small pieces
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (seeds too)
3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated garlic
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
AVOCADO GARNISH
1 large ripe avocado, diced into small pieces
¼ tsp. ground cumin
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
TOPPINGS
⅓ cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) (see first tip below)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)
METHOD
For the gazpacho, in a large bowl or container with a lid, combine all gazpacho base ingredients and stir well; cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to let the flavors develop.
Close to serving time, prepare the garnish. In a small bowl, toss the diced avocado with cumin, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper.
To serve, ladle the chilled gazpacho into bowls. Top each with a heaping spoonful of the avocado garnish, a sprinkle of toasted pepitas, and a light drizzle of olive oil (if desired).
PRO TIPS:
- Toast pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and puffed, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool on a plate to prevent overtoasting.
- I find chopping veggies creates a nice mental break that puts me in a relaxed, almost meditative state. But if chopping isn’t your idea of therapy, feel free to use one of those handy vegetable choppers.
- For a meal idea, add chopped grilled shrimp to the soup and serve with tortilla chips on the side.
Excerpted from Savor the Golden Hour by Adrienne Lufkin. Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved, No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing.
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