Bury St Edmunds Masterchef quarter-finalist and Wandersups creator Hannah Gregory shows us how to make the most of the remaining summer days with this tasty cold soup

Those summer nights ain’t going anywhere just yet and I am here for it...or is it them?

Either way, gazpacho is one of my go to summer dishes whether it be for a light lunch, a sups starter or served in a cute little espresso cup as a canapé, it always is a winner of a dish.

This cold Spanish soup is traditionally made from blended raw vegetables, stock and thickened with stale bread, which means it is perfect for a fridge raid. The word gazpacho is of Arabic origin and means ‘soaked bread’, referring to the key ingredient that is used to thicken the liquid and turn a light dish into something more filling, an essential requirement when this dish first came to being in the ancient Greek and Roman times.

As with any dish that has made it through the ages, there are a million variations dependent on which region you are in. I like to bump mine up with a punchy roasted red pepper purée and finish it with chive oil and garlic chives because I am fancy like that, but you can top with croutons, pine nuts, finely-diced shallots or cubes of avocado – whatever takes your fancy/needs using up.

This dish ideally needs to sit for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavours to mingle and the bread to do its job of thickening, so is perfect to make in advance – just give it a quick blitz before you serve.

To make the chive oil you will need a coffee filter or muslin. You will only use a tiny amount but it will last for ages and makes a great addition to salad dressings, soups etc. Or could just sack it off all together, it’s your day.

Roasted red pepper Gazpacho

(Serves 4)

250g cherry vine tomatoes

½ cucumber, peeled and deseeded

½ red onion

1 red pepper

1 small clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of good quality sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped stale white bread

250ml veg stock

1 jar of roasted red peppers

1 large bunch of chives

250ml olive oil

Garlic chives

Salt

First of all, make the chive oil, if using. Rinse the chives and pat dry. Pop into a blender with the olive oil and blitz until smooth.

Set up a coffee filter or muslin in a funnel and place over a bottle – allow the vibrant, coloured oil to collect over 24-48 hours.

For the gazpacho, roughly chop all the vegetables and garlic.

Add to a blender along with the vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, veg stock, bread and a pinch of salt.

Blend until smooth and refrigerate till needed.

Tip the roasted red peppers into a blender (reserving their oil), blitz till smooth then pass through a sieve so you have a smooth purée.

To serve, pour the gazpacho into a bowl, carefully place a tablespoon of the red pepper purée into the middle of the bowl.

Garnish with a drizzle of the reserved pepper oil, the chive oil and a sprinkling of garlic chives.

Find out about Hannah’s upcoming Supper Clubs and what she is currently cooking via Instagram @WanderSups or see wandersups.com.