I acquired this recipe several years ago during a trip to Barcelona. I was fortunate enough to spend an evening in the company of Cristina and Guillermo; founders of Barcelona Slow Travel, who taught me to make this dish during a private cooking class. I would definitely recommend booking this excellent food experience if you are ever in Barcelona: www.barcelonaslowtravel.com

This beautiful cold soup is perfect for the hot weather and is incredibly simple to make.

Gazpacho

Makes approximately 1 litre

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, peeled

8 vine tomatoes, peeled

Half an onion, peeled

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 green pepper, deseeded

A good glug of good quality extra virgin olive oil (I use between 3-5 tbsp)

¼ sourdough loaf – ideally this wants to be a day or two old so that the inside is dry.

2 to 3 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to season

Method

Soak the bread in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Wash and prepare all of the vegetables and put them into a food processor. A good tip for peeling the tomatoes is to cut a criss-cross into the top of each tomato, penetrating just below the skin. Place the tomatoes into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave them for a couple of minutes before draining. The boiling water will penetrate under the skin and this should now easily peer away.

Add the bread to the food processor and blitz, pouring in a cup or two of water until you have the desired consistency. Season to taste, and if necessary you can add more oil or vinegar to balance out the flavour.

Refrigerate and serve once cool, garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.