Easy Does It: Gazpacho

Often referred to as “liquid salad,” gazpacho may be a vegetable’s best expression of summer. Its success (and yours) depends on the freshest of ripe ingredients, which are all at their peak now through the end of August. This chilled soup, of Spanish provenance, keeps your kitchen and you cool (no oven or burner to turn on), no matter what the thermometer reads. We offer a great list of vegetables to put into this soup, but feel free to work with what you have handy. Like most recipes, “authentic” gazpacho is a well-debated subject and can run the gamut from garnishes such as grilled shrimp and chopped eggs to some with nary a tomato invited to the party. This version is left chunky, but feel free to puree the whole kit and caboodle (if so, no need to dice the ingredients finely — a rough chop will do just fine). RECIPES