During the hot season, this chilled soup is a refreshing lunch or dinner. The Spanish know how to take advantage of ripe summer vegetables to serve a no-cook gazpacho. This easy blender version combines bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, onion and garlic with water, olive oil, vinegar and salt. After a minute of blending, the thick soup is ready to serve cold with ice cubes or, if you have the patience, chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Garnish with small cubes of cucumber or tomato, or even avocado, if you want to gussy it up. Some versions include stale bread to make the soup thicker, but this recipe doesn’t need it.

Blender Gazpacho
Ingredients:
• 1 ripe tomato
• 1/4 green bell pepper
• 1 6-inch cucumber, peeled
• 1/6 small sweet onion (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Optional garnish: finely cubed cucumber or tomato

Directions:
Chop vegetables into 1-inch pieces and put in blender. Add water, olive oil, vinegar and salt. Blend until completely mixed, about 2 minutes. Chill in refrigerator until cold, about 3 hours. Or add ice cubes and serve immediately. Garnish with small pieces of cucumber or tomato.
Serves 1.

Lynette Lo Tom has written three cookbooks and loves hearing about home cooks. Visit lynettecooks.com for more information.