I had the good fortune to spend a summer in Spain a few years ago, and I learned to make this version of gazpacho there. It’s a lovely, relaxed dish to have when the weather is hot and you can’t face turning on your oven or cooker.
The secret to the authenticity of this recipe is the vinegar. It really needs to be sherry vinegar from Jerez. I buy Sainsbury’s own brand and it works very well.
This is a smooth cold soup, so if you prefer a little texture, reserve and finely chop a bit of the pepper and cucumber. You can add this as a garnish just before serving.
Ingredients:
2 slices of stale white bread or 1 day-old petit pain
1 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar from Jerez
250ml cup cold water
6 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Place the first four ingredients in the blender and whizz until liquefied. Now add the tomatoes, pepper, and cucumber and whizz again until you have a thick liquid. Salt to taste. Serve in cups with ice cubes.
Fig and Pen 