Author Notes
My Smoky Gazpacho uses what I consider the basic, though quite flexible, standard list of ingredients: ripe tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, and garlic– all chopped uniformly and blended til smooth with sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. However, this recipe deviates from the standard by blackening the red bell pepper as well as a moderately spicy red Fresno chile. Smoked paprika and smoked sea salt add a further subtle layer of mystery. I garnish this soup with a few slices of pan-fried Spanish chorizo. It just feels appropriate. —Sippity Sup (Greg Henry)
Ingredients
-
1
red bell pepper
-
1
Fresno chile
-
2 pounds
ripe red tomatoes (roughly chopped, juices retained)
-
1/2
cucumber (peeled and seeded)
-
1/2
small red onion (peeled and roughly chopped)
-
2/3 cup
roughly chopped smoked almonds (divided)
-
1
(1-inch thick) slice stale Italian bread (torn into 1-inch pieces)
-
3 tablespoons
sherry vinegar
-
2
clove garlic (peeled and chopped)
-
1/2 teaspoon
smoked paprika (or more to taste)
-
1/4 teaspoon
smoked sea salt (can substitute standard sea salt)
-
1/4 teaspoon
freshly cracked black pepper
-
1/2 cup
extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
-
18
slices Spanish dry-cured chorizo
-
chopped flat leaf parsley (to taste)
Directions
-
Roast the peppers: Char the bell pepper and Fresno chile by laying them, one at a time, directly over a gas flame, turning occasionally with tongs until blackened on all sides. Place them in a medium bowl, cover, set aside until cool; rub off the blackened skin, remove stems and seeds, then roughly chop.
-
Prepare the gazpacho: Place roasted red bell pepper, roasted fresno chile, tomatoes and their juice, cucumber, onion, half the smoked almonds, bread, sherry vinegar, garlic, smoked paprika, smoked salt and pepper in a blender. Process until as smooth as you like, adding a splash of water if necessary to achieve the proper consistency. It should move freely in the blender, but not be watery (add one ingredient at a time and blend before adding another if all the ingredients don’t initially fit).
-
Once all the ingredients are smooth, drizzle in the olive oil with the machine running until fully incorporated and emulsified.
-
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to come together.
-
To serve: Just before serving, Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo slices and cook until they begin to curl at the edges and brown. Flip them over and cook until browned on the other side.
-
Serve the chilled gazpacho in shallow soup bowl, garnished with chorizo slices, remaining chopped smoked almonds, parsley and a drizzle of very good olive oil.
See what other Food52ers are saying.