Core the tomatoes and roughly chop them. Peel and chop the cucumber. Seed and chop the red bell pepper. Roughly chop the red onion. Place the garlic clove and torn bread into a small bowl and saturate with the 0.5 cup ice cubes (or very cold water) to soften the bread while you prep the other vegetables.

Blend

In a high-speed blender or food processor, add the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, softened bread (squeeze out excess soaking liquid if using water), and garlic. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely puréed, then blend continuously until smooth, about 1–2 minutes depending on appliance strength. If your blender is small, work in two batches to avoid overflow.

Liquids, Seasoning & Finish

Emulsify and season

With the blender running on low, slowly stream in 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar to emulsify. Add 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves, and 0.5 cup cold water to adjust consistency. Blend another 20–30 seconds until well combined. Taste and adjust: add the optional 1 teaspoon lemon juice if you want a brighter acidity, more salt to taste, or up to 2 tablespoons more vinegar if desired.

Chill

Transfer the soup to a covered container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, ideally 4–6 hours, to let the flavors meld. For best texture, strain the chilled soup through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to remove seeds and pulp for an extra-smooth finish. Alternatively, leave unstrained for a more rustic texture.

Garnish / Optional Crunch

Prepare garnish

While the soup chills, dice 0.25 cup cucumber and 0.25 cup tomato into small uniform cubes. Cut a few basil leaves into a chiffonade for garnish.

Serve

Ladle the chilled gazpacho into bowls. If strained, give the soup a final whisk or stir. Spoon a small mound of diced cucumber and tomato into the center of each bowl, drizzle about 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each serving, and sprinkle with the basil chiffonade. Adjust seasoning at the table with salt, pepper, or a little extra vinegar if desired.