Chilled Andalusian Creamy Gazpacho

1. Prepare Base Vegetables

Coarsely chop 2 pounds of the tomatoes, half of the cucumber, half of the bell pepper, and half of the onion. Place these chopped vegetables into a large bowl, then add the garlic, serrano chile, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Toss everything together to create a flavorful base.

2. Dice Remaining Vegetables

Finely dice the remaining tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and the other half of the red onion. Toss these diced vegetables with 0.5 teaspoon of salt and transfer them to a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl. Let them drain for about an hour.

3. Soak Bread

Transfer the drained diced vegetables to another medium bowl, reserving the exuded liquid (about 1/4 cup). Soak the bread pieces in the reserved liquid for a minute, then combine it with the rough-chopped vegetable mixture.

4. Blend and Strain Mixture

Blend half of the vegetable-bread mixture with 0.25 cup of the olive oil. Process for 30 seconds, then slowly drizzle in the remaining oil and blend for another 2 minutes until smooth. Strain this mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, using a ladle or rubber spatula to help push it through.

5. Mix and Chill Soup

Stir in the sherry vinegar, minced fresh parsley (or chives or basil), and half of the diced vegetables into the strained soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

6. Serve

Ladle the chilled gazpacho into bowls. Pass the remaining diced vegetables, extra olive oil, extra sherry vinegar, and freshly ground pepper separately for customization.