David Venable's Warm Gazpacho with Goat Cheese Croutons

By JacqueDavison

Ingredients

• Gazpacho:
• 2 (14.5-oz) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 medium onion, peeled
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded
• 2 carrots peeled, tops removed
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 zucchini
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 5 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cups low-sodium tomato juice
• Croutons:
• 4 slices whole wheat bread
• 4 oz goat cheese
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Step 1

Remove the goat cheese from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the gazpacho. Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the soup into a saucepot and cook over low heat, 10-15 minutes.

To prepare the croutons, spread the room-temperature goat cheese over two slices of bread. Make sandwiches with the remaining slices.

Lightly spray a medium-size skillet with cooking spray and cook the sandwiches over medium-low heat until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Let the sandwiches cool for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, ladle the warm soup into bowls. Cut the sandwiches into 1/2'' squares and divide the croutons evenly among the soup bowls.