Gaspacho Alentejano

Core and roughly chop the Tomato, peel and chop the Cucumber, remove seeds and roughly chop the Green Bell Pepper, peel and coarsely chop the Onion, and smash or finely chop the Garlic cloves.

Tear the Stale Country Bread into pieces and place in a bowl; pour enough Water over to just soak the bread and splash in the Red Wine Vinegar. Let sit a few minutes until the bread softens.

Transfer the chopped vegetables and the soaked bread (squeezing out excess liquid if you like a thicker soup) to a blender or food processor. Add the Dried Oregano, about three tablespoons of the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, and a generous pinch of the Fine Sea Salt. Blend until smooth or leave slightly chunky for texture.

Taste and adjust: add more salt, a little more vinegar for brightness, or another splash of olive oil for silkiness. If the gaspacho is too thick, thin with a little more water and pulse to combine.

Chill the soup for at least 1–2 hours in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld, or for a quick cool down stir in a few Ice Cubes and let them melt to bring it to serving temperature.

Ladle into bowls, finish with a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and an optional sprinkle of chopped cucumber or pepper for crunch. Serve very cold.