Gazpacho

1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cucumber, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 fresh red chili, seeded and roughly chopped
3 cups roughly chopped ripe plwn tomatoes
3 3/4 cups passata (strained pureed tomatoes) or tomato juice
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon caster sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
crushed ice, to garnish (optional)


Reserve a small piece of the green and red bell peppers, the cucumber, and the onion. Finely chop these and set aside as a garnish.

Process all the remaining ingredients, except the ice, in a blender or food processor until smooth: You may need to do this in batches.

Press the soup through a strainer into a clean glass bowl, pushing it through with a spoon to extract the maximum amount of flavor.

Adjust the seasoning and chill. Serve sprinkled with the reserved chopped green and red bell peppers, cucumber, and onion. For a finishing touch, add a little crushed ice to the garnish.
Serves 6.