Food & Recipes: Too hot to cook? Meet gazpacho

Some recipes ask you to preheat the oven. August politely declines.

This chilled tomato and vegetable soup is my shortcut adaptation of the classic Spanish soup gazpacho.

Traditionally, gazpacho is made with fresh, ripe, raw tomatoes, blended with vegetables, olive oil and vinegar, then chilled until the flavors mingle.

Any Spanish purist will tell you that’s the only proper way to make it, and they’re right. Please tell your abuelita I said that before she chases me with a wooden spoon.

But as costs rise and budgets lower let’s adapt and have some perfectly refreshing soup on a hot summer day. I’m happy to bend tradition a bit in the name of good food and common sense.

There are as many recipes for gazpacho as there are people who make it. I focused on inexpensive and easy, two of my favorite things.

Canned fire-roasted tomatoes provide rich tomato flavor year-round, so you can enjoy a refreshing bowl of gazpacho even when fresh tomatoes are expensive or disappointingly bland.

That said, promise me you’ll make it the traditional way at least once during peak tomato season. A ripe, sun-warmed tomato from the garden or farmers market has a sweetness and depth of flavor that’s almost impossible to find in most grocery stores.

When tomatoes are at their best, substitute about 2 pounds — or 5 to 6 medium — ripe tomatoes for each 28-ounce can in this recipe.

Simply core, roughly chop, then blend the tomatoes with the remaining ingredients. No need to peel or seed them.

Chill the soup for at least four hours, though overnight is even better, allowing the flavors to marry into something truly special.

Whether you make the fresh or shortcut version, prepare it a day ahead if possible. Gazpacho improves as it rests, making it an ideal make-ahead meal.

It makes a bright, zippy lunch or light supper and is equally at home as a first course instead of a salad for a Spanish-inspired dinner. I also love serving it as the opening course for brunch, followed by deviled eggs and a hearty ham frittata.

Shortcut Gazpacho

Servings: 9 cups (6 main-dish or 8 appetizer servings)

Ingredients

1/2 small purple onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced (one clove)

2 tablespoons red (or white) wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, divided

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and finely chopped

2 bell peppers, finely chopped, one red and one green

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, or to taste

Tabasco or other hot sauce to taste, optional

Procedure

In a small bowl, combine the onion, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and sugar and set it aside.

Using a blender, puree one can of tomatoes until quite smooth. Add a tablespoon of each of the other veggies to the blender and puree, to infuse the flavors. In a large non-metal bowl — use glass if you can — combine all the ingredients together, including the onion-vinegar mixture, and combine thoroughly.

Add salt and pepper to taste and Tabasco if desired. Let this sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight for the flavors to blend. Taste again for seasoning. Serve in bowls. You may wish to serve this with toasted croutons and a little dollop of sour cream.