A cold soup is a traditional recipe from the Mediterranean area. The Romans were making it with wine, the Greeks with yogurt. The cold soup we call Gazpacho, is no doubt of Spanish derivation (from the region of Andalusia). Ripe tomatoes, green bell peppers, onions and cucumbers are mashed into a cream with stale bread and diluted with vinegar, cold water and olive oil. A perfect recipe to freshen up your hot summers. It is a great start of a dinner too.

Here you go with my recipe!

Serves 4

Ready in 20 mins + 2h in refrigerator

500 grams ripe red tomatoes

200 grams cucumbers (peeled)

150 gr green bell peppers (better the small italian quality)

1 small red onion

1 garlic clove

1 jalapeno (or more according to taste)

half glass white vinegar

half glass extra-virgin olive oil

1 slice of stale bread

salt

Cut all vegetables into big chunks and put them into a mixer with the bread (drenched with half of the vinegar).

Add the vinegar (if it is too dry also add some water if necessary), until they are all creamy.

When the vegetables creamy, add slowly the olive oil, the colour will turn from red to light red or orange. Season with salt (and more vinegar according to taste).

Sieve through a sieve mixing it with a spoon and make sure that the most of it is sieved.

Put the gazpacho into the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.