Beat the heat with gazpacho

When the temperature soars, it helps to enjoy a meal that is cool and, well, liquid. In other words, it's time for gazpacho.

Gazpacho is a raw tomato-based soup swimming with chopped vegetables. Many versions call for blending or partially blending the soup, but I prefer to keep it chunky. You could call it a liquid salad. As salads go, it's certainly healthy, and it's also remarkably satiating, thirst-quenching and refreshing to eat -- or slurp.

The key to its flavor is a balance of sweet, spice, piquancy and heat, which creates a balanced and addictive bite. Aim for a variety of colors and satisfying crunch. Dice the vegetables in similar size so you can crowd as many as possible into one bite. Look to carrots and bell peppers for sweetness, citrus for acidity and chile peppers for a kick of heat. Make the gazpacho a few hours ahead of serving to allow the flavors to meld and any veggie juices to release.

Summer Gazpacho

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes, plus chilling time

Yield: Serves 4

1 quart unseasoned tomato juice

2 to 3 Early Girl or other vine-ripened tomatoes, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 English cucumber with skin, seeded, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1 medium poblano pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded, minced

1 large garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

A few dashes of hot sauce

1 small handful of fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients except the cilantro in a large bowl and stir to blend. Taste for a balance of flavor and season with salt. The flavors will develop as it chills in the refrigerator. Stir it occasionally while chilling. Before serving, stir in the cilantro and taste again for seasoning.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.