Strawberry Gazpacho with Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

Gazpacho has been very "in" for the past few years, mostly watermelon. This year, strawberry is in the top spot, which makes me happy because it's my all-time favorite fruit.

This soup is really easy to make, but has the kind of complex flavors that will make people think it took forever. It works well as a starter course, or can be a light entree with some warm, crusty bread.

If you've never chopped a mango before, don't worry. It's not nearly as complicated as people make it out to be. The key is to use a really sharp knife. First, don't peel the mango. Let your knife slide in from the top and feel for the core by gauging the resistance as you slowly slice downward. It should meet little-to-no resistance. If your knife is slowed down, back up a bit and move slightly outward until it's easy to slice again.

Once you're done, you should have thick slices of mango on the peel. Cut those into cubes and then slice or gently pull them off.

Ingredients
2 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced (about 5 cups)
1 small mango, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 large shallot, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/4 cup lime juice, divided
4 tsp agave nectar, divided
1/2 cup vegan sour cream

Chop all your fruits and veggies and combine them in a bowl. Try your best not to just eat it at this point. It'd make a delicious and funky little salad.

Put it all into a blender with the oil, 2 tbsp of the cilantro, 2 tbsp of the lime juice and 3 tsp of the agave. The blender will be very full, but don't worry, it'll all fit and will easily combine after about 30 seconds or so.

Before:

After:

Stir the sour cream with the remaining cilantro, lime juice and agave. At this point, it's ready. You can do this well ahead of time and put it all in the fridge until you're ready. Ladle the soup into the bowls and pour a spoonful of the sour cream in the center.