Grilled Chicken Breasts with Gazpacho Salsa
Submitted by sela
Grilled chicken breasts topped with a fresh gazpacho salsa of tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and cumin. A light, no-cook Spanish-inspired summer dinner.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minThis is grilled chicken with a cold Spanish accent. The salsa is essentially a chunky gazpacho: Roma tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, and fresh coriander in a bread-thickened vinaigrette spiked with cumin and Tabasco. Spooned over hot, sliced grilled chicken, it’s a complete summer meal that’s ready in 30 minutes.
The bread in the blender base is a traditional gazpacho technique. A torn slice of white bread pureed with half the tomatoes, garlic paste, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and water creates a smooth, slightly thick dressing that binds the chunky vegetables together. It’s not something you taste. It just gives the salsa body.
Grilling the chicken skin-on keeps it moist, and slicing it on the diagonal after resting exposes more surface area for the cold salsa to cling to. That temperature contrast between hot, smoky chicken and cold, crisp salsa is what makes this dish exciting.
Chef Tips
- Mash the garlic to a paste with salt before adding to the blender. This ensures it distributes evenly instead of leaving raw garlic chunks.
- Make the salsa before grilling the chicken. It benefits from sitting 15 to 20 minutes while the flavors meld.
- Grill covered for 5 minutes per side over moderately high heat. Covered grilling cooks the chicken evenly without drying the outside.
- Let the chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing. Cutting immediately loses juices.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
In a blender blend together the garlic paste, the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the oil, the water, the cumin, the Tabasco, the bread, half the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste until the mixture is smooth Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in the remaining tomatoes, the cucumber, the bell pepper, the onion, and the coriander or parsley. Brush the chicken with the additional oil, season it with salt and pepper, and grill it on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, or in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan, covered, over moderately high heat for 5 minutes on each side, or until it is cooked through. Cut the chicken on the diagonal into ¼ inch-thick slices and serve it with the salsa.
Comments
