There are many variations on gazpacho, and the following is just another stand-by, easy-to-make version. Today I'm too lazy to strain the soup through a sieve or pull out my food processor, so I used tomato juice instead of fresh tomatoes. If using fresh (and now's about time) make sure those you choose are at the pinnacle of juicy perfection.

Perhaps you’ve always thought, as have I, that tomatoes were the backbone of this classic Spanish soup. But the fruit (tomatoes are a fruit) is a New World crop, and did not find its way to Spain until the 16th century. It was during this era that Gazpacho Fusion-Confusion was born, and continues to this day.

In contemporary Spain, one savors tomato-based gazpacho enriched with raw and hard-cooked eggs, slivers of Serrano ham and often seafood. And of course the original version, the traditional ajo blanco, is still popular and is served sweetened with grapes or melon.

Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8-10 cups

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon acidity, such as Spanish sherry wine, balsamic, red wine or herb-infused vinegar; lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2-3 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika or Worcestershire sauce, optional
4-5 cups (32-40 ounces) tomato juice (or 8-10 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and pureed in a processor, then pressed through a sieve to remove seeds)
3 large, ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced (2 cups)
1 pound medium-large sized shrimp; cooked, peeled and deveined, if necessary; optional
2-4 cups your choice mix and match vegetables (suggestions follow)
1 cup torn fresh basil, chopped dill, and/or snipped chives
Hot sauce, optional

Mix and Match Vegetable Suggestions

Sweet bell peppers, cored, membranes and seeds removed, diced
Fresh hot peppers, cored, membranes and seeds removed, diced
Canned hot peppers, chopped
Cucumbers, peeled and diced
Celery, diced
Radishes, sliced
Avocado, peeled and sliced or diced
Jicama, peeled and diced
Hearts of palm, diced
Red onion, diced
Scallions, sliced
Fava beans

Instructions

1. Whisk together oil, your choice of acidity, garlic and smoked paprika or Worcestershire sauce, if using. Whisk into juice or pureed tomatoes; then stir in tomatoes.
2. If using shrimp, stir into base with 2-3 cups assorted mix-and-match vegetables (see suggestions below). If not using shrimp, stir in 3-4 cups assorted mix-and-match vegetables*. Stir in herbs and season to taste, if desired, with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and/or hot sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (May be made up to 48 hours in advance; adding shrimp, avocado and basil up to 2 hours prior to serving.)

*I used K.W. Knudsen Original Organic Tomato Juice I purchased at The Produce Station, which had a rich, fresh tomato flavor. I’ve also used V8 juice in previous recipes, which is flavorful but less thick. For my vegetables I selected sweet bell peppers, a jalapeno and baby cucumbers.

Peggy Lampman is a real-time food writer and photographer posting daily feeds on her website and in the Food & Grocery section of Annarbor.com. You may also e-mail her at peggy@dinnerfeed.com.