Gazpacho

If you've ever been to Spain in the summer I'm sure you are like me these days and are having dreams of swimming in luxurious pools of this light fragrant delicacy. Ok, so I'm not actually dreaming of swimming in Gazpacho but I certainly can't get it off my mind. This was one of my favorite things about the summer I spent in Spain many years ago. The simplicity of the dish is a bonus. If you don’t have homemade chicken stock and need a shortcut, try boiling 1 liter of water with 2 cubes of Halal chicken bouillon cubes. Vegetarian? Just substitute chicken for vegetable stock.

Gazpacho

3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp oregano
½ onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
A 7-inch-long slice day-old baguette
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 cup of diced green bell pepper
1 cup of diced red bell pepper
4 cups chicken stock
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt (if needed) to taste

Soak the bread in 2 cups of the chicken stock until bread starts to fall apart. Set other 2 cups of stock aside.

Put all other ingredients in the jar of a blender or food processor and mix with the stock with the bread until smooth. Add remaining stock and blend some more. You might need to add more of the stock, blend, and then remove some of the mixture before adding the remaining stock.

Put in a large bowl and refrigerate.

Serve cold and garnished with diced cucumbers.