If we all had a cup of gazpacho a day, we would live as long and healthy as a Spaniard.

Gazpacho offers a chef a series of choices. Some prefer their cold summer soup to be smooth and silky with the ingredients finely strained. Others prefer a chunky gazpacho, with the vegetables diced and chopped. It’s all up to you.

• 5 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered. This dish is as only as good as your fruit. (Or is a tomato a vegetable?)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 cucumbers
• 1 green bell pepper, half for the soup and half for decoration
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons quality sherry vinegar, or to taste
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup top notch mild extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Andalusian hojiblanca)
• 1 baguette, crustless, about 4 inches long.
• 1 baguette, sliced and friend in olive oil for presentation

Soak the bread in 1/2 cup water 1 minute, then squeeze dry and place in the blender.

Smash garlic with salt into a fine paste. Blend garlic paste, bread, cumin, sherry vinegar, sugar, and tomatoes in a food processor or blender until tomatoes are very finely blended*. Gradually add oil in a slow stream, blending until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.

Sieve* the soup into a bowl. (*) The texture and consistency of the soup is up to you. Smooth or chunky.

Pour into a glass container and chill, covered, for about 3 hours. Season with salt and vinegar. Garnish with the bread slices and the finely chopped green bell peppers.

Serve with a simple pasta dish or our insanely awesome Chopped Salad.