Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes

3 Persian cucumbers, or 1 hothouse cucumber

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and cut in half

4 sprigs cilantro, plus 12 cilantro leaves

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons diced red or orange sweet pepper

3 tablespoons diced red onion

18 small cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Super-good extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Blanch the yellow tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Cool the tomatoes in a bowl of ice water a few minutes, and then use your fingers to slip off their skins. Remove the cores, and chop the tomatoes coarsely, saving all the juice. Reserve the ice water.

Seed and dice three tablespoons’ worth of unpeeled cucumber, as prettily as you can manage, for the garnish. Set aside. Peel and coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers.

You will need to make the soup in batches. Place half the yellow tomatoes, coarsely chopped cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro sprigs, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil in a blender with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and some pepper. Process at the lowest speed until broken down. Turn the speed up to high, and purée until the soup is completely smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little of the reserved ice water. Strain the soup and taste for seasoning. Repeat with the rest of the soup ingredients. Chill the soup in the refrigerator; it should be served very cold.

Toss the diced pepper, diced onion, and diced cucumber together in a small bowl.

Pour the gazpacho into six chilled soup bowls, and scatter the pepper mixture over the soup. Season the cherry tomatoes with salt and pepper and place three cherry tomato halves and two cilantro leaves at the center of each bowl. Finish each soup with a drizzle of super-good olive oil. To serve family-style, place the soup in a chilled tureen or pretty pitcher and garnish with the tomato halves and cilantro; pass the diced vegetables on the side.