The Mix-and-Match Dinner That Makes Everyone Happy

It's summer's answer to the chili bar.

Anne Burrell makes Gazpacho, as seen on Anne Burrell's Summer Recipes on Food Network Kitchen.

Anne Burrell makes Gazpacho, as seen on Anne Burrell's Summer Recipes on Food Network Kitchen.

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If you're anything like us, you spend all year waiting for fresh summer produce and then a few weeks in, grow a little restless with the same rotation of stuffed peppers or grilled corn on the cob, and have enough tomato sauce in your freezer to last all winter long.

We get it! That's why when Anne Burrell shared a few of her favorite summer recipes on the Food Network Kitchen app, we were more than excited. In her Essential Summer Eats course, she shows us how to tap into the season's finest produce to make soups, salads and sauces.

Anne Burrell makes Watermelon Salad, as seen on Anne Burrell's Summer Recipes on Food Network Kitchen.

Anne Burrell makes Watermelon Salad, as seen on Anne Burrell's Summer Recipes on Food Network Kitchen.

Anne's Gazpacho with Garlic Croutons class is a standout, though. In this class, she purees tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and cucumbers into a silky, smooth soup, and then sets up a DIY station with ingredients to add to each bowl. Think of the gazpacho as a base for fresh and flavorful toppings served alongside — toppings like corn kernels, sour cream, and finely chopped veggies. Everyone in the family can mix-and-match their own meal.

Unlike traditional gazpacho recipes, Anne doesn't throw bread into the blender with the tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. Instead, she turns a loaf into garlicky crunchy croutons to serve on the side. This means that your chilled soup base is gluten-free, so anyone who needs to can just opt to leave the croutons out of the bowl. With so many other options to choose from, no one will feel like they're missing out. That's the beauty of a DIY dinner —everyone can customize their own bowl to create their ideal meal.

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