Served as starter. Vegetarian dish.

Spanish

Gazpacho

1 kg Tomatoes, ripe, quartered

4 spring Onions or Scallions, roughly chopped

3 Garlic Cloves

1/2 Cucumber, peeled, roughly chopped

75 ml Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

25 ml Sherry Wine Vinegar

Toppings

2 Spring Onions, finely sliced

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded, minced

1/2 Green Bell Pepper, cored, seeded, minced

1/4 Cucumber, peeled, minced

3 hard-boiled Eggs, peeled, minced

2 slices day-old crusty Bread, cut into 2cm cubes

Olive Oil (for shallow frying)

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (to serve)

Blend tomatoes, spring onions, garlic, and cucumber into a smooth puree. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, pulsing in between additions; add vinegar, pulse once more. Season with salt and pepper to taste; for an authentic flavour, you might want to add a little more minced garlic rather than a large amount of salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; cover and chill for at least two hours to allow all the flavours to blend. Heat a thin layer of olive oil over medium heat and fry the bread cubes for a few minutes until golden and crisp; drain on kitchen towels. Ladle the gazpacho into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and grind fresh black pepper on top. Set all of the toppings into separate small bowls so that guests may serve themselves however much they like.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 2 1/4 hours

Serves: 4

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