Soup is one of my favorite foods ever. It’s something I can eat day and night, every season of the year, and in any weather. In some cases, it can be cheap, like ramen, which is delicious, cheap, and tastes great with peas and eggs scrambled into it. In other cases it can be downright expensive, soups like bouillabaisse, a delicious French seafood stew. So you’re probably reading this and asking yourself why I’m writing about soups, this hot delicious comfort food, in the heat of the summer. And the answer is simple. Soup doesn’t have to be mouth scalding, taste bud searing hot all the time. In fact some of the most delicious soups I’ve ever had are served cold. There’s something about a cold soup running down my throat on a 110 degree day that perks me up even after I’m completely wiped out. Of course, why would I go to the effort of making a Soup on a day when I’m worn out and tired? I don’t. I make the soup a few days in advance, on a day when I’m alert and have time on my hands. Most soups keep well and even develop deeper, more complex flavors over time.

An absolute favorite of mine for this time of year is Spanish Gazpacho, a delicious vegetable soup that has as many variations as there are villages along the coast of Spain. Here in the States, Gazpacho is generally served with all the ingredients mixed together. In Spain, it is traditional to keep some of the chopped ingredients such as onions, cucumbers and peppers on the side, to be passed around the table, so people can customize their own bowls of soup. This is particularly helpful for pickier eaters, for example a child who can’t stand onions doesn’t have to put them into her bowl. Some of my favorite ways of having Gazpacho are with grilled chicken or shrimp, and, strangely enough, with chopped hard boiled eggs. A definite advantage to gazpacho is that you don’t have to even turn on your stove if you don’t want to. Well, if you want shrimp or hard boiled eggs, I suppose you do. But just a basic gazpacho is something where I don’t have to even turn on my stove on a hot day. And it’s wonderful.

Gazpacho is a wonderful soup to serve for a crowd. There’s something about its simple and fresh flavors that seem to appeal to just about any palate. If you haven’t tried it, the following recipe is one of my favorites. The heat from the jalapeno pepper, a more nontraditional ingredient in a gazpacho, increases as it’s stored for days in the refrigerator so I’d advise you to cut the amount of jalapeno in half if not serving it immediately.

Enjoy this delicious summer soup!
- 1 Medium cucumber (Peeled, seeded, and diced. Either set aside or mix into the soup)
- 1 Green bell pepper ( seeds removed, diced. Either set aside or mix into the soup)
- 1 Small onion (finely chopped in the food processor. Either set aside or mix into the soup)
- ½ cup flat leaf (Italian) parsley leaves (Either set aside or mix into the soup)

Mix the following ingredients in a big bowl
- 2 ½ pounds ripe plum or roma tomatoes (peeled, seeded (the seeds make it bitter) coarsely chopped)
- 1 cup tomato juice
-1¼ cups red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (since it’s not cooked, its important to use the best olive oil you can afford)
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced (you don’t want big chunks of raw garlic in your soup)
- 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finally minced
- salt and pepper to taste

The first four ingredients can either be added or kept aside for people to add as they want. Refrigerate everything until serving, preferably at least 2 hours. Serve with shrimp, hard boiled eggs, croutons, or anything else that you desire.

Bon Appetite!

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