because it's summer and such lovely weather I keep thinking about making gazpacho soup, such a delicious soup to have cold on a summer evening.

serves 4

600g ripe tomatoes, skinned

1 red and 1 green pepper, seeded

1 small onion

half a garlic clove peeled

half a cucumber peeled

1 slice fresh bread, crusts removed, made into breadcrumbs

1.5 teaspoons red wine vinegar

75ml chicken stock

60ml olive oil

a few fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste.

Roughly chop the tomatoes, peppers, online, garlic and cucumber. Mix together with the crumbs in a large bowl. Mix the rest of the ingredients into the vegetables and breadcrumbs in the bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Leave to marinate for 12 hours in the fridge.

After the ingredients have marinated, liquidise in batches to a fine puree, then push through a sieve or a food mill into serving bowls. Taste for seasoning then chill.

To garnish, dice a little tomato, pepper and cucumber. Make some croutons by cubing some bread, dousing generously in olive oil and baking in a hot oven (200g/gas 6) until golden. Sprinkle all over the soup, or simply sprinkle with strips of fresh basil.