You can’t go wrong in the summer with making a big batch of original gazpacho. If you’re unfamiliar with it, gazpacho is a tomato-based soup served cold, and was originally made in the Andalucia area of southern Spain, although there is evidence it may have come to Europe with the Moors. The Spaniards have made it a national treasure, and there are as many different variations of this warm-weather treat as their are types of bread.

The greatest thing about gazpacho is there’s a few general guidelines to follow, but after that, you’re on your own. You can make this soup hearty and robust (yes, even though it’s served cold), or aromatic and delicate.

We often have gazpacho in the summer, but since Ron loves it so much, we make it all year. If you know the basics, you can make a good base to start from and branch out from there. Here’s a version we’ve made in the past. It leans heavily on cucumber, yet has a brawny finish.

Ingredients

Gazpacho

• 4 tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 of a large cucumber, skin and seeds removed
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil
• splash of rice wine vinegar
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Frozen cucumber puree

• 1/2 of a large cucumber, skin and seeds removed

The first step is to make the cucumber puree. This may be the easiest thing you’ve tried in the kitchen since you learned how to boil water. Put half the cucumber in a food processor or blender and liquify until it is evenly pureed. Remove from your appliance and place into a very small bowl. Cover and freeze. That’s it!

Juice two limes with a reamer. We used our new favorite gadget, the Chef’n Juicester, which measures the yield as you juice. Two whole limes gave us a quarter of a cup, but remember limes vary due to ripeness, size, freshness, and the alignment of the stars, it seems.

Next, another incredibly easy kitchen skill you should have under your belt: the fine art of blanching. Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Drop in the tomatoes for fifteen seconds. Scoop them out and place them into a waiting bowl of ice water for up to a minute. Slice the stem-side of each tomato off. This will enable you to very easily peel off the skin.

Next, it’s back to your food processor. There’s no need to clean it out after making the cucumber puree. Hooray! Combine the tomatoes, the remaining cucumber half, one-half of the red onion, and everything else into the food processor. Blend until you get the texture you desire. Chunky-lovers do it for a shorter period, smooth gazpacho enthusiasts go longer. Most good food processors like our Cuisinart have “pulse” buttons which enable you to blast away until you’re happy with the consistency. Have at it.

Chop the remaining onion half into a small size you feel is appropriate one centimeter square is about the biggest we go here. Add the onion pieces and the chives to the puree. Stir well.

Pour into a large serving bowl, stir again, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Remove the frozen cucumber from the freezer five or ten minutes before serving. Use a spoon to break apart small pieces as shown in the photo below.

Ladle the gazpacho from the large serving bowl into a soup bowl. Place a few small pieces of the frozen cucumber on top.

Finish off this creation with a tip we learned in Miami. Drizzle just a bit of spicy chile oil on top and let it go where it wants, but don’t mix it in. We use and recommend Ancho Chile Oil from 7th Taste, which we’ve used to great success in other original dishes. You’re now ready to serve this delicious standard to your guests.

Remember, there’s almost an infinite number of gazpacho variations. Don’t be afraid to make your own unique one. This is a great place to start. Don’t like anything too spicy? Leave out the chile oil. Hate garlic? Ditto. Love bell peppers? Throw some in! Search cookbooks for ideas, and make your own signature gazpacho. Enjoy the summer! Your friends will love this no-fuss, no cooking-heat-in-the-kitchen Spanish staple for years to come.