Cold Soup

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional sitting time.

This soup can be pureed by pressing it through a strainer or a food mill. It can also be pureed in a blender and then strained.

Fresh mint makes this starter all the more cooling. Use Haas avocados for the creamiest texture. What to drink: Throughout the meal, go with the classics — beer and Margaritas.

Truffle oil adds earthy nuances to this summer soup, but don't worry if you don't have any on hand: The soup will still be good without it. Open a nice bottle of Champagne to go with the meal.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

The lovely color and tangy taste of this starter make it a real crowd pleaser. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

"My grandmother, who was a successful restaurateur from C″rdoba, Spain, hesitantly relinquished her gazpacho recipe to me," says Lawrence Saez of San Francisco, CA. This nourishing cold soup is ideal for a hot summer day and is best enjoyed with a glass of Manzanilla Sherry.

A star starter from Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. A good mold for the timbale is a six-ounce tomato-paste can that has the top and bottom removed.

Gazpacho de Habas This gazpacho has a haunting flavor — barely identifiable as lima beans — and is also excellent when you substitute pine nuts for the limas, as the chef at El Churrasco, in Córdoba, often does. The addition of an egg — not at all unusual in white gazpachos — gives this soup a creamier, richer taste. It is best served in small portions.

We're certain that this soup will become a staple in your summer repertoire. It's simple to make, low in fat, and tastes like freshness itself.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.