Gazpacho

• 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) ripe red tomatoes (about 4), cored and chopped
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 English cucumber, chopped
• 1 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 1/4 tsp (8 g) kosher salt
• 1 TBSP (15 ml) sherry vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 2 slices of stale bread, crusts removed, chopped
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) tomato juice
• Garnish of choice, such as chives, basil, and cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine the bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, pepper, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Toss well to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to blend everything, allow the flavours to meld, and soften the bread.

2. 2

   Add the contents of the bowl to the blender, along with the sherry vinegar, and process until very smooth. You may need to add some tomato juice to make blending easier. I usually blend it a few times to ensure it's very smooth. Remove the center knob while blending and pour in the oil. Pass the contents of the blender through a fine mesh sieve into another bowl (discard the solids). Stir in the tomato juice. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (240 minutes) for the soup to become really cold and for the flavours to meld.

3. 3

   Serve garnished with herbs, cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and freshly cracked black pepper.