Spicy Salmorejo Gazpacho

August 02, 2020

Serves 4

Spaniards have perfected many things, like tapas, wine, and paella. So it’s no surprise they have also mastered gazpacho. This cold, tomato-based soup is the perfect dish to enjoy on warm summer nights — it’s delightfully bright, yet surprisingly rich.

With this recipe, we revisit the Andalusian classic, Salmorejo, which incorporates a loaf of bread into a blended tomato base. The result is creamy, refreshing, and oh, so satisfying!

Ingredients

8 large, ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, stems and center removed, minced
1 red pepper, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 loaf day-old French bread, cut into 2" cubes

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomatoes and boil them in the water for 2 minutes until the skin begins to separate at the cut. Place tomatoes in an ice bath until cool. Once cool, peel off the tomato skin with your fingers. Discard the skin, remove the tomato core, and chop into 1-inch pieces

2. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno, and red pepper in a high powered blender and begin to pulse. Add the vinegar and olive oil, and blend until smooth

3. Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and blend. Slowly add the cubes of bread and continue blending until the soup is creamy in consistency, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin the gazpacho if necessary.

4. Pour the salmorejo into a large pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors incorporate.

5. Serve salmorejo chilled with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

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