Tomato Gazpacho w/ Croutons

There are some days when I wake up and realize how incredibly lazy I am going to be.  I know it as soon as my feet hit the floor.  These are the days I usually transport myself from my bed directly to the couch where I lounge all day, catching up on my DVR.  Now just because I'm lazy, doesn't mean I'm not hungry....and this gazpacho is really a fantastic lazy day end of summer meal .. {especially because it's low in calories -- lazy usually equals no workouts}.

This chilled soup is also one of those things that demands good quality ingredients -- there's nothing to hide the fact that you used less than stellar tomatoes -- you will taste it in every bite.  So use fresh ingredients and make sure to give the soup time to chill. {I popped mine in the freezer for about 45 minutes.}  If you are in a crazy-lazy mood, feel free to use store bought croutons in place of home made....but the home made croutons make a world of difference... {it's just toasted bread, people...how lazy are you?}

Tomato Gazpacho w/ Croutons

5 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup cucumber, seeded and diced

4-5 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (more whole leaves for garnish)

fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 small loaf of italian bread, cut into cubes

cooking spray

Place the tomatoes and tomato juice in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add the chopped bell pepper, celery, red onion, garlic, cucumber, basil and black pepper to the soup and stir well. Cover and chill in the fridge overnight. This allows for the flavors to meld. Or place soup in freezer for 45 minutes or until chilled. 

Preheat oven to 425.  Toss bread cubes with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until the bread cubes begin to brown.  

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with whole basil leaves and croutons.