Fire Roasted Gazpacho (Black Gazpacho)

My Fire Roasted Gazpacho (Black Gazpacho) is intensely delicious. I make this Spanish chilled soup with fire roasted tomatoes and blistered peppers for a deep rich color and a smokey flavor that is truly unique. Think you don’t like gazpacho? Think again!

It isn’t often I can say I’ve come up with an entirely new recipe…

anyone who’s ever searched on google knows that everything’s pretty much been done, especially when it comes to food.  But guess what?  I think I’ve come up with a new gazpacho that’s unique and super delish.  This beautifully intense gazpacho is inspired by my Fire Roasted Salsa Negra, which is a classic Mexican salsa with a rich dark ‘black’ color thanks to fire roasting the veggies before processing.  It occurred to me that I could give gazpacho the same delicious treatment and boy was I right!

The difference between a classic gazpacho and this fire roasted gazpacho is that I’ve taken the main ingredients, the tomatoes and peppers, and roasted them under the broiler ( you can do it on the grill if you like) until they become blackened.  But here’s the interesting part ~ I don’t remove those blackened skins, that all goes into the processor or blender to make this rich soup.  The fire roasting adds color and lots of smokey flavor.

This recipe is very forgiving, as are all gazpacho recipes…you can use any type of tomato you like, and the peppers are interchangeable too.  I used several varieties because I love peppers and I can get so many different kinds here in Los Angeles, but you’ll be able to find substitutes at your regular supermarket.  I encourage you to get creative and make this your own.

Sometimes I’ll pack up my gazpacho in individual little jars for lunches or picnics.  I also like to serve it this way for barbecues and other outdoor events where everybody can grab their own and go.  If you really want to have fun with it you can set up a gazpacho bar and let everyone pick and choose their favorite toppings.  

Peppers can be a source of confusion because they come hot, sweet, dried, and canned. In areas of the country with larger Latino populations supermarkets stock all sorts of peppers, but in much of the country the pickings are sparse.  I encourage you to use what you can find and don’t stress too much about getting the exact match to my ingredient list.  The main thing is that I mixed sweet and hot peppers so my soup has a nice kick.

What are tomatillos?

Again, you may not be familiar with these depending on where you live.

• Tomatillos (means little tomatoes) are fruits native to Mexico. They aren’t tomatoes, but they taste like unripe green ones.  
• They come wrapped in papery thin skins, which are removed before eating or cooking.
• The flavor is bright and acidic, and goes well in gazpacho and salsa.  They can be used cooked or raw.
• If you’ve had authentic salsa verde, you’ve had tomatillos.

Your veggies are going to look like a hot mess when they come out from under the broiler, but don’t worry, it gets better from here!  

Remove stems and seeds and then put them right in the food processor.  They’ll process into a smooth consistency in just seconds.  

It’s quite a transformation, don’t you think?

How to serve gazpacho ~

• The number one rule of gazpacho is to serve it ice cold.  In Spain you’ll sometimes get a little bowl with an ice cube in the middle!
• Offer gazpacho in relatively small bowls or even little glasses.  You want it to be refreshing, not overwhelming.
• Garnish the top with very finely diced or minced veggies like cucumber, peppers, or red onion.  
• A bit of fresh green like mint, cilantro, or any other fresh herb is a nice finish.
• Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over your soup.
• Finish with a shower of fresh cracked black pepper.
• You can find some fun inspiration for topping ideas in my Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho post.