Fast, keeps you fit and nothing beats it when it’s right and the sun is out. Key is the freshness and ripeness of your tomatoes. Enjoy alone with the sprinkles or with a club sandwich.
Prep
- Tear the measured bread into a bowl. Sprinkle with the 40ml of water. Set aside for 30 minutes. Meantime, skin the tomatoes and prep the vegetables.
- Boil a kettle. Sit the tomatoes in a large heatproof bowl. Cover them completely with the boiling water. Leave them for 2-3 minutes. Carefully, pour the water off. The skins may be peeling off so finish the job with your fingers.
- Sit the tomatoes on a board. Quarter them. Remove the seeds with a teaspoon then discard them. Drop the flesh into a processor or blender.
- Crush the garlic. Peel and chop the cucumber. Slice the pepper in two. Scoop out the seeds and cut away the stem. Roughly chop the flesh. Peel and chop the shallot.
- Throw the prepped vegetables in with the tomatoes. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, oil.
- Squeeze any excess water out of the bread. Add it to the machine. Put the top on. Blitz everything together until completely smooth. Add the wine glass of water if you’d like it a bit thinner or you’re serving it in shot glasses. Now, taste the soup. It needs to have a bit of a kick and be well seasoned so adjust the balance to suit your tastes and this style of dish. You may need a bit more oil to tone it down and add richness or a dash more vinegar or salt.
- Pour the soup into a bowl. Chill for at least 2 hours or longer. Taste again before you serve it.
Extras:
- Make these up while your soup chills.
Plate
- Chill the soup bowls if it’s a really hot day. Divide the soup between bowls. Add an ice cube if you like. Serve a selection of extras on a plate at the table. Or enjoy it plain with just a few bits of sliced black olive with a club sandwich. Or serve it in shot glasses with a selection of tapas (Virgin to Veteran p 98 Spanish meatballs and tapas extras)
