Strawberry gazpacho

Prepare all the ingredients. Wash the vegetables, strawberries, and basil thoroughly. For this soup, it is recommended to choose fleshy ripe pink tomatoes. For a more beautiful color of the soup, red bell pepper is more suitable.

Slice the cucumber into rounds. If the cucumber has a tough skin, it should be removed with a vegetable peeler. Fresh young cucumbers are ideal for the soup.

Cut the bell pepper in half, remove all the seeds, and cut into small pieces.

Cut the tomatoes into medium-sized cubes. If desired, you can peel the tomatoes beforehand. To do this, make a cross-shaped incision on them, dip them in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, and then immediately transfer them to cold water or a bowl with water and ice. The skin will easily come off.

Remove the sepals from the strawberries. Cut large berries in half. Sweet strawberries are perfect. The proportion of strawberries should be approximately the same as tomatoes.

Combine tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, and bell peppers in one container. Add basil and salt. Blend everything until smooth. If desired, you can add a couple of celery stalks, half a bulb of red sweet Yalta onion, and a clove of garlic to the soup.

Add lemon juice and olive oil, blend again. For those who like it spicy, you can add a few drops of Tabasco sauce to the soup. Taste the soup and add the necessary ingredient according to your preference if it lacks salt, spices, sugar, or sourness. Instead of lemon juice, you can add white wine or balsamic vinegar to the soup. If time allows, you can refrigerate the soup for 1-3 hours to let it infuse.

Divide the soup into plates or serve it in transparent glasses, garnish with basil leaves and sliced berries. If desired, you can add a spoonful of sour cream or cream to the soup. Serve the soup with dried bread slices. You can also serve bread slices with cheese baked in the oven alongside the soup. Enjoy your meal!