Gazpacho, Fast and Simple

No one can definitively say what “gazpacho” is—you see it with grapes, with almonds, even with melon— and you can indeed make delicious gazpacho with all those things. This basic recipe is what you probably expect when you hear the word gazpacho, but with this formula you can replace the tomatoes and cucumber with fruits of similar texture and change the soup in infinite ways.

2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped, or one 28-ounce can (include the juices)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded if you like , and chopped

2 or 3 slices bread, a day or two old, crusts removed, torn into small pieces

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, or more to taste

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, bread, oil, vinegar, and garlic with 1 cup water in a blender; process until smooth. If the gazpacho seems too thick, thin with additional water.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately (or refrigerate and serve within a couple of hours), garnished with a drizzle of olive oil.

Spicy Gazpacho.
• Omit the vinegar. Garnish the finished soup with 1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 2 scallions or shallots or 1/2 red onion, minced; and 1/2 fresh jalapeño or serrano chile (or to taste), seeded and minced. Add fresh lemon or lime juice to taste and serve.

Chunky Gazpacho.
• Finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and bread, collecting all of the juices you can as you work. Toss together in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and 1 cup water or dry white wine and stir for a minute or two to combine thoroughly.

MAKES: 4 servings

TIME: About 20 minutes