Gazpacho

(SERVES 4)

• 1 slice bread
• 15 ml/1 tbsp olive oil
• 15 ml/1 tbsp lemon juice
• 30ml/2 tbsp water
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1 red (bell) pepper, roughly chopped
• ½ cucumber finely chopped
• 400 g/1 4 oz/1 large can tomatoes
• 15 ml/1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
• 150 ml/ ¼ pt/ 2/3 cup iced water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A small pinch of artificial sweetener granules
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped chopped parsley

Break up the bread and place in a bowl with the oil, lemon juice and the 30 ml/2 tbsp water. Leave to soak for 5 minutes. Place in a blender or food processor with a quarter of the chopped onion, the garlic, the pepper, half the cucumber, the canned tomatoes and the puree. Put the remaining onion and cucumber in two small serving bowls. Run the machine until the soup in fairly smooth. Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in the iced water and season with salt, pepper and a few grains of sweetener. Put the chopped tomatoes in a small serving bowl. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with the chopped onion, cucumber and tomato handed separately.