Spicy roasted jalapeño gazpacho

With summer here, cold soups are in, but that doesn’t mean we can’t turn up the heat with some spice.

I spent a semester in college living in Spain with a host family who ate gazpacho almost every single day. The housemaid, Maria, made it, and one of my biggest regrets in life is not getting the recipe from her before I left. It was amazingly refreshing and delicious in the heat of the Costa del Sol summer and early fall days, and I looked forward to it every day come our 3 p.m. big meal.

This version, while nothing like Maria’s in preparation (she boiled and peeled tomatoes, something I don’t have the patience for), tastes quite similar. The jalapeño gives it a nice little kick. Not sure if Maria would approve of that addition, but it adds a depth of flavor and spice to the chilled soup to keep things interesting. It’s the perfect starter to a summer dinner or even a light lunch.

Spicy roasted jalapeño gazpacho recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 jalapeño, sliced in half and seeded
• 2 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the jalapeño onto the baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and roast for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the skin becomes charred and blistered.
2. In the meantime, combine the remaining ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
3. Remove the jalapeño from the oven, and let it rest until it has cooled enough to touch.
4. Carefully peel the skin off the pepper, and place the 2 halves into the blender.
5. Blend for about 15 to 20 seconds, until the pepper is just combined into the soup.
6. Pour the soup into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until chilled.

More gazpacho recipes

Green gazpachoSweet pepper, jalapeño and cilantro gazpacho
Golden beet gazpacho