Herbs & Spices

Some varieties of noodles suggest soaking them in boiling water instead of cooking them; check your package instructions before preparing them.

Martha served this gazpacho over tomato aspic in a glass as a portable first course, but the gazpacho can also be served on its own.

This recipe will serve four as a first course or light lunch. To serve the noodles as a meal, add a few cups of diced firm tofu or cooked chicken breast to the simmering broth in step 3.

After it has finished cooking, this soup will continue to thicken; thin it with hot chicken stock or water, if desired.

You will need to make the stock at least 1 day before you make the soup.

The stock must be refrigerated at least 6 hours; make it 1 day ahead.

You can also serve this soup cold or at room temperature. Puree it in batches to prevent overflow (particularly because you do so while it’s hot), if needed. You can stir in a small amount of water to thin the soup after pureeing it, if you like.

Steps 1 and 2 can be done up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cilantro’s pungent fragrance partners well with fruity tomatillos in a lively pesto. The mixture offsets the spiciness of the cumin and jalapeño in this delectable soup.

We used a combination of French breakfast, white icicle, and pink beauty radishes, but you can use any variety you’d like. When the weather is hot, sprinkle radishes with crushed ice before serving to keep them crisp.