Grilled Tomato Gazpacho / Healthy Spring & Summer Soups

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds  ripe plum tomatoes

1   small red bell pepper

1   English cucumber, peeled and seeded, divided

1/2 cup  torn fresh or day-old country bread, (crusts removed)

1 small clove  garlic

2-3 tablespoons  red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon  chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon  piment d'Espelette, (see Ingredient Note) or hot Spanish paprika or pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon  salt

1/4 teaspoon  freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Grill tomatoes and bell pepper, turning a few times, until they soften and the skins are blistered and charred in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pepper to a plastic bag and let it steam until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin; cut the pepper in half and discard the stem and seeds. Place one half in a blender. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, core and roughly chop. Add the tomatoes, skins and all, to the blender.

3. Add half the cucumber to the blender along with bread, garlic, vinegar to taste, parsley, piment d'Espelette (or paprika or cayenne), salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add oil and blend until well combined. Refrigerate until room temperature or chilled, at least 1 hour.

4. Before serving, finely dice the remaining cucumber and bell pepper; stir half of each into the gazpacho and garnish with the remaining cucumber and bell pepper.

Tips:
Ingredient Note: Piment d'Espelette is a sweet, mildly spicy pepper, from the French side of the Basque region, ground into powder.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Stir to recombine and garnish just before serving.

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 84, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 4 g, Sodium 219 mg, Carbohydrate 9 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 2 g, Potassium 405 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin A 35%, Vitamin C 60%. Exchanges: Vegetable 1.5,Fat 1.
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Grilled Tomato Gazpacho / Healthy Spring & Summer Soups