It’s the surprising combination of sweet, tart, creamy, and crunchy additions that makes me crave this summery soup. This gazpacho is all about the garnishes.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 4

　　

GAZPACHO

4 large ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut in half through their equators

　　1 small shallot, coarsely chopped

　　1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

　　1/2 cup chopped celery heart

　　1/2 cup chopped European cucumber

　　1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

　　1/2 fresh long red (finger) chile, seeded and chopped

　　2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

　　2 teaspoons kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon sugar

　　

GARNISHES

8 blanched whole almonds

　　Extra-virgin olive oil

　　3/4 cup grated fresh mozzarella

　　8 cherry tomatoes, preferably a mix of colors, sliced 1/4 inch thick

　　1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

　　4 raspberries, halved

　　4 fresh basil leaves, torn

　　8 very thin slices long red (finger) chile

　　Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet and put the tomatoes on the rack, cut sides up. Bake the tomatoes until the skin blisters, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel and break into quarters with your hands.

　　

Step 3

Transfer the tomatoes and their juices to a blender, along with the shallot, garlic, celery, cucumber, bell pepper, and chile. Blend on low speed until pureed. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Season with the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Refrigerate until extremely cold.

　　

Step 4

Put the almonds in a small saucepan and add just enough olive oil to cover. Cook over medium heat until the almonds are fragrant and blonde, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain on paper towels, and let cool to room temperature. Reserve the almond cooking oil.

　　

Step 5

Divide the mozzarella, tomatoes, avocado, raspberries, basil, chile, and reserved almonds among cold soup bowls. Pour the soup into the bowls, drizzle with the almond cooking oil, and season with fleur de sel and pepper. Serve immediately.

　　

c’est bon

Step 6

If you’re in a hurry, you can set the bowl of soup in a larger bowl of ice and water to chill it quickly.

　　Reprinted with permission from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes by Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Genevieve Ko. Copyright © 2011 by Jean-Georges Vongerichten; photographs copyright © 2011 by John Kernick. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most influential chefs in the world, having single-handedly redefined haute French cuisine, lightening and refining it by adding select Asian accents. He is the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in fourteen cities around the world. His flagship restaurant, Jean Georges, at New York's Columbus Circle, is one of six restaurants in the United States to have been awarded three coveted Michelin stars; it received four stars from the New York Times. The winner of multiple James Beard Foundation awards, he lives in New York City and Waccabuc, New York, with his family.Genevieve Ko is a cookbook author and the senior food editor at Good Housekeeping magazine. She has written for Martha Stewart Living, Gourmet, and Fine Cooking and lives in New York City with her family.