Chilled Gazpacho with Pepper Relish

Serves 4 · 25 min prep

Ingredients

• 2 lb, cored and roughly chopped ripe tomatoes
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 large yellow bell pepper
• 1 medium English cucumber
• 1 small jalapeño
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups torn pieces day-old crusty bread
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp lime juice

Instructions

1. 1Core and roughly chop the tomatoes. Seed and roughly chop one red bell pepper and half the yellow bell pepper for the soup base; reserve the remaining peppers for the relish.
2. 2Peel the cucumber if the skin is thick, then chop it into chunks. Stem and roughly chop the jalapeño, removing seeds for milder heat or leaving some for a kick.
3. 3Combine the chopped tomatoes, soup peppers, cucumber, jalapeño, garlic cloves, and torn bread in a large blender. Let the bread soak 5 minutes so it softens.
4. 4Add most of the olive oil, the sherry vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Blend on high until completely smooth and silky, 60 to 90 seconds, scraping down once if needed.
5. 5Taste the gazpacho and adjust salt or vinegar so it tastes bright and well-seasoned. Pour into a pitcher or bowl, cover, and chill at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) until thoroughly cold.
6. 6While the soup chills, make the pepper relish: finely dice the remaining red and yellow bell pepper into small, even pieces about 1/4 inch.
7. 7Toss the diced peppers with the remaining olive oil, lime juice, salt, and chopped cilantro until glossy and fragrant.
8. 8When ready to serve, give the chilled gazpacho a quick stir or whisk; thin with a splash of cold water only if it has thickened too much in the fridge.
9. 9Ladle the cold soup into four bowls. Spoon a generous mound of the bright pepper relish into the center of each bowl so the colors pop against the deep red soup.
10. 10Finish with an extra thread of olive oil if desired and serve immediately with crusty bread on the side. The contrast of silky cold soup and crunchy fresh relish makes a refreshing midday meal.