Tiered Tomato Soup

Tiered Tomato Soup

Ingredients
* 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
* 3 to 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
* Salt
* 2 firm-ripe avocados (8 oz. each)
* 3/4 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 cucumber (12 oz.)
* 3 tablespoons minced shallots
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
Preparation
* 1. Rinse and core tomatoes; cut into chunks. Whirl in a blender or
food processor until smooth, then rub through a fine strainer into a
bowl; you should have about 3 cups. Discard residue. Season purée to
taste with 2 to 3 tablespoons vinegar and salt. Cover and chill until
cold, at least 1 hour.
* 2. Peel and pit avocados; cut into chunks. In a blender or food
processor, whirl avocados, broth, sour cream, and lime juice until
smooth. Add salt to taste. Cover surface with plastic wrap and chill
until cold, at least 1 hour.
* 3. Peel cucumber; cut in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard
seeds. Dice cucumber into 1/8-inch pieces; you should have about 1 cup.
In a small bowl, mix cucumber, shallots, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and
minced tarragon. Cover and chill until cold, at least 30 minutes.
* 4. To serve, stir avocado mixture to blend and pour equal portions into glasses (12 to 16 oz. each). Whisk tomato mixture to blend and gently pour over avocado. Top with diced-cucumber  mixture. Clear, straight-sided glasses or wineglasses show off the layers of color best, but large martini glasses also work. You can also use soup bowls and keep the layers a surprise.