Gazpacho Is One of Our Go-To Summer Meals—Learn How to Make the Delicious Chilled Soup at Home

It's cool, refreshing, and packed with summer's ripest produce: Yes, we're talking about gazpacho, and if you don't have a great recipe for this chilled soup in your repertoire, now is the time to find one. This no-cook soup originated in Spain and there are many delicious versions. It's generally made by blending vegetables (and fruit, remember that tomatoes are actually a fruit), typically tomato, onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and garlic with olive oil, vinegar, and a little white bread, which is used to thicken the soup. That puréed soup blend chills in the refrigerator, allowing the flavors to mingle before you enjoy it.

Served cold, gazpacho is a meal that feels healthy and refreshing like a salad, but it has a heartier feel, making it particularly well-suited for dinner on hot summer nights. It is also so easy to make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator for quick meals. And, while we love a tomato gazpacho, it's easy to ring the changes by swapping out ingredients and using a variety of toppings so your simple bowl of chilled soup is a dining experience. Ahead, we explain how to enjoy summer's "coolest" meal.

Start with Red Tomatoes, Then Mix it Up

First get the basic red tomato gazpacho down. Then, once you are sold on this fresh and vibrant soup, try some less well-known takes. Swap the usual ingredients with your favorite summer fresh vegetables and fruits; just be sure to go with produce that can be enjoyed raw and has higher water content. Explore recipes that blend up different ingredients and bring vibrant colors to the dinner table, like our Cucumber Buttermilk Gazpacho, Watermelon Gazpacho, or Yellow Tomato and Peach Gazpacho.

Pile on Toppings and Customize

Gazpacho can be enjoyed as it, spoonful after delicious spoonful, but it's also ready for all kinds of toppings that make it a heartier meal and add different textures. Topping each bowl with a few handfuls of crunch or a drizzle of something creamy is one our favorite ways to finish the dish. The version shown above has tapas-style toppings, such as chopped hard-cooked egg and sardines, tuna, or sliced cured ham like jamón Ibérico, which all go particularly well with the soup. Breadcrumbs, fresh herbs, toasted and chopped nuts, finely chopped vegetables and fruit, and more are also well suited to adorn gazpacho. One garnish that might seem simple but is nonnegotiable for us: a nice drizzle of high quality extra-virgin olive oil. You could also try a dollop of yogurt.