It’s 90-degrees in the shade. The humidity makes breathing sweaty work. There’s no relief in sight. Who wants to cook? Not me. And I don’t feel like battling traffic to bake in line waiting for an Infarct Burger Special, but I’ll be hungry sometime around six o’clock tonight. What I want is something refreshing. Something cold and filling without being overwhelming. The answer? Gazpacho!

If you don’t know, gazpacho is a cold tomato-based soup. Gazpacho meets all the requirements and comes together very quickly if you have a reasonably stocked pantry and fresh vegetable bin in the fridge. Got a garden? Then raid it for this soup. The fresher the veggies the better. Make the soup early in the day before your energy flags, stick it into the refrigerator to chill thoroughly and blend the flavors, then when supper time arrives, dish it up. Round the meal out with a slab of crusty bread. A salad wouldn’t be unwelcome. Try a spinach salad with feta cheese and sliced radishes, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. Or maybe a side dish of sliced avocado and mangos, with a sprinkle of kosher salt on the avocados and a grind of black pepper over both. Dessert? This is a healthy meal, so have ice cream if you want to push the boat out. Or Italian ice. I’ll have my favorite: chilled cantaloupe melon slices. Bliss!

Ready to get cookin’? Great! You don’t even need the stove. Just a blender or food processor. Gazpacho is very variable, so swap out the veggies for your own tastes. This is my recipe:

• • One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• • Handful fresh spinach leaves
• • 2 large cloves garlic
• • Small zucchini, finely chopped
• • Large cucumber, finely chopped
• • 1/4 cup chopped red onion, finely chopped
• • 1/2 cup each red and green bell pepper, finely chopped
• • One fresh ripe tomato, finely chopped
• • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• • Handful Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
• • Salt and ground black pepper
• • Balsamic or red wine vinegar
• • Olive oil (extra virgin is best)

 
Empty the chopped tomatoes into a large bowl or pot. Using a blender or food processor, puree together the spinach leaves, garlic cloves, and HALF of each portion of zucchini, cucumber, onion, and bell peppers. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the vegetables to help liquify them. Stir the puree in with the crushed tomatoes. Add the remaining vegetables to the soup and stir to incorporate them—don’t worry if the corn is still frozen, because it will thaw in time to be eaten, and it will help chill the soup. Taste the soup and then work on the seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in one to two tablespoons of vinegar and up to 1/4 cup of olive oil. Cover the pot or bowl and place the soup in the refrigerator. Allow it to chill for two hours or longer. The flavor will mature and blossom as the soup chills. Serve as is, or garnish. Here are some ideas for garnishes:

• • Garlic croutons
• • Sliced black olives
• • Strips of roasted bell pepper
• • Toasted pine nuts
• • Sliced Pickled Beets
• • Curls of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano
• • Dollop of plain yogurt or sour cream
• • Chopped fresh dill or chives

 
The rest is up to you. There’s enough here to serve six, and leftovers can be kept in the fridge for tomorrow. Give my speedy gazpacho a try and see if you don’t agree that it makes a fine hot weather meal—no sweat!

 

 
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