Spicy Gazpacho

April 27, 2022

Jill Melton

Heartier versions of gazpacho have their place, but if you haven’t made (or eaten) one that’s silky smooth, I urge you to give it a try. To achieve the texture, the ingredients are blended together then strained through a sieve, leaving behind all the teensy bits. You’ll want the best tomatoes you can find, so if it’s not tomato season, save this recipe for later.

Excerpted from Tomato Love ©By Joy Howard. Used with permission from Storey Publishing.

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet, ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and roughly chopped

1/2 English cucumber, roughly chopped

1/2 medium red onion, quartered

2 medium ribs celery, from the center of the bunch, roughly chopped

1 small red bell pepper, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, sliced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

1 cup cubed hearty white bread, crusts removed

Sungold or red cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish

cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preparation

1. Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, jalapeños, salt, and black pepper to large bowl and toss together. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Place mixture in blender, add oil and bread, and purée until smooth. Strain through a sieve and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Serve cold. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, more oil, and cilantro.