Gazpacho alentejano is a soup for properly hot days. People hear gazpacho and picture the smooth Spanish version, but cross the border into the Alentejo, the sun-baked plains of southern Portugal, and you get something chunkier and brothier, built around stale bread instead of puree. It is closer to a salad you eat with a spoon.

It is a cousin of our sopa de tomate alentejana (recipe on the site), the hot version served with a poached egg, but gazpacho alentejano goes the opposite direction entirely: served ice cold, with cubes of country bread added at the table so they stay a little crisp. Cucumber, green pepper, garlic and a generous pour of good olive oil round it out.

A big jug keeps well in the fridge all week through the summer, ready to ladle out for lunch alongside whatever bread has gone slightly stale on the counter.

Gazpacho Alentejano Recipe

What you need

Ingredients

2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped, plus extra diced for garnish
1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped, plus extra diced for garnish
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 cups cold water, as needed
4 to 6 thick slices day-old country bread or sourdough, crusts trimmed and cut into cubes
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped, for serving (optional)

Cook along

Instructions

In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, vinegar, olive oil and salt. Blend until mostly smooth but still a little textured, not perfectly silky.
Thin with cold water, a half cup at a time, until it reaches a light, drinkable soup consistency. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar.
Chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days, in a covered pitcher or jar.
Just before serving, taste again since cold mutes seasoning, and adjust once more.
Ladle into bowls and let everyone add their own bread cubes, extra diced cucumber and pepper, chopped hard-boiled egg, and a final drizzle of olive oil at the table.