Monday, September 10, 2007

Spicy Gazpacho with Chipotle Chiles and Lime

Just two days ago, it was so hot and humid here it was practically unbearable. I had a bowl full of fresh tomatoes, and I dreamt longingly of cold, refreshing gazpacho. Unfortunately, I was swamped with work, and didn't have all the ingredients I needed to try out a recipe I'd seen on the Cook's Illustrated site.

Tonight I finally had some time to go to the supermarket and do all the chopping needed to make the gazpacho. Of course, it rained yesterday and the temperatures plummeted. In fact, I had my first hot cocoa of the season last night. But fresh tomatoes will not wait, and I wanted to try the Spicy Gazpacho with Chipotle Chiles and Lime recipe.

I chopped away at tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, cucumbers, garlic, chipotles in adobo sauce and cilantro. I added lime juice, tomato juice, sherry vinegar (that took some finding, let me tell you!) and seasonings. And, even though I thought I'd be too cold to enjoy it, the chipotles added the necessary heat to a fresh and invigouratingly cold soup. A little bit of Italian bread, a little bit of cheese, and dinner was served.

Gazpacho is normally served with chopped toppings (more tomato, onion, bell pepper or avocado) or croutons, but I decided to keep things simple tonight and just added a dash of extra virgin olive oil, as suggested. It's a good thing I liked it; I have a huge pot of it left over.

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