2 pounds ripe roma tomatoes, stemmed and cleaned
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 avocado, diced
4 basil leaves, rolled and thinly sliced
one-half lemon, juiced
1 pound bay scallops
Lightly oil a baking tray and place whole tomatoes on it. Roast in oven at 425 degrees, rotating occasionally. The tomatoes are ready when their skins begin to blister and bubble, but are not too brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve leftover roasting oil and juices from the tomatoes.
In a saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and add onion, garlic, cumin and coriander. Sweat vegetables on medium heat. When softened, add tomato paste and continue to cook. Add roasted tomatoes and chicken stock. Season to taste and bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Puree tomatoes and pass through a fine sieve. Adjust thickness of tomato puree to soup consistency with extra stock. Add balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Chill soup, then ladle into 4 cold, shallow bowls. Meanwhile, mix diced avocado with chopped basil, a tablespoon of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pack the avocado in the center of the bowl and pour soup around the avocado. Sear bay scallops seasoned with salt and pepper in a hot pan with vegetable oil. Don’t move scallops until they begin to color. Turn them over, and cook for another 20 seconds; remove from pan and arrange them around the avocado salad in the soup bowl. Drizzle reserved tomato juices around soup as a garnish and serve. Serves 4.
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