Instructions: Theres a lot of leeway in the amounts of this recipe, which derives from countless recipes Ive come across. Lean in the direction of the vegetables you favor. The texture closest to my memory is one that is mostly pureed but with a partially chunky consistency.

About 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped 1 large green (or red or yellow) bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
About 1 1/2 cups plain tomato sauce
About 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste About 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or to taste 1 tablespoon honey

(or 1/2 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar), or to taste 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste 1 to 1 1/2 cups torn-up stale country-style bread Hot pepper sauce to taste
1 to 2 cups cold water, as needed
Garnish:
1 to 1 1/2 cups 1/2 inch cubed stale country-style bread, browned in olive oil 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

Set aside 1/4 cup each of the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers for stirring into the pureed soup.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper with the garlic, onion, celery and tomato sauce. Stir in the oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the torn bread chunks with the tomato mixture.

Then, in batches, process the mixture in a blender or food processor until thoroughly combined, but dont process it so long that its uniformly smooth.

Leave some chunk to the texture. Stir in the reserved chopped vegetables.

Add hot sauce to taste and adjust seasoning. Every tomato has a different acidic level that you can balance with the addition of more vinegar, honey or oil. Chill for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

Before serving, taste for seasoning again and add just enough cold water to achieve the consistency you desire. Serve in individual bowls garnished with croutons and chopped cucumber.

Note: To make the croutons: If the cubes of bread are not already stale and fairly dry, put them in a 250-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes before proceeding. Heat 2 or 3 roughly chopped cloves of garlic in 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat until they begin to color.

Remove the garlic, increase the heat to medium and add the bread. Stirring frequently, saute the bread cubes until they become golden. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste

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