Dishes like Jonathan Benno's signature oysters and pearls —sabayon of pearl tapioca with Island Creek oysters and Sterling white sturgeon caviar — his restaurant recipes are generally considerably more complex than the average home cook can handle. We asked him for something a bit easier, and he shared the following refreshing cold soup, which he calls white gazpacho. It's a version of a common peasant "bread" soup, but more refined, of course.

The soup has two parts: Fresh shrimp that are lightly pickled in a vinegar-sugar mixture and garnished with a quick vinaigrette, and a slightly tart, slightly sweet puree of an intriguing group of ingredients — bread, almonds, grapes and cucumber. Don't let the number of ingredients daunt you; this goes together very easily. You can find Marcona almonds at Costco and Spanish paprika at R. Field or in the specialty foods departments of larger grocery stores or online.

Serve this for a light, festive lunch.

WHITE GAZPACHO

For the pickled shrimp garnish: