This cold soup originates from Spain and is the perfect dish for hot summer days – refreshing, healthy, easy to make and just delicious. There are many variations, and you should feel free to adjust to your own liking.

Preparation time: 20 minutes + chilling is the fridge

What you need:

2 lb (1kg) ripe tomatoes, quartered and cored, the fresher the better

1 cucumber, peeled, chunked

1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into chunks

2 green onions (white and green parts), sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tablespoons fruit vinegar (apple, raspberry, apricot…..)

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ bunch cilantro (this really gives great taste, but you could substitute with parsley, or even basil (just be careful on the amount as basil has a strong taste)

How to do it:

Put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. You could also use a hand-held puree stick, but it’ll take more time.

Puree for several minutes until you get an even liquid.

Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin and puree for another 2 minutes.

Add cucumber, peppers, coriander and vinegar and puree for a final 3 minutes, or until the soup reaches your desired consistency.

Taste and season with extra salt, pepper and/or cumin if needed.

Refrigerate in a sealed container for 2-3 hours, or until completely chilled.

Serve cold with a nice piece of crusty bread.

Buen provecho!