Roasted Tomato Gazpacho with Shrimp

Traditional gazpacho is made with raw tomatoes and is a delicious cold soup for warm weather. In this recipe, we’ve tweaked it a bit, by roasting the tomatoes first, blending the roasted vegetables with some crusty country bread to thicken it, and serving it with chilled shrimp.”

Ingredients

8 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered and seeded (about 2½ pounds total)
1 medium red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 medium red onion, cut in wedges
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
½ cup torn crusty country bread
2 medium cucumbers, chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ to ½ cup water (optional)
12 ounces peeled and deveined cooked shrimp, chilled
Chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional)

Directions

1Preheat oven to 375°F. Divide tomatoes (cut sides up), bell pepper quarters, onion wedges, and garlic between two 15×10-inch baking pans. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Roast 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the vegetables are lightly browned on edges.
2Place the roasted vegetables and any pan juices in a large food processor. Add bread. Cover; process until smooth. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
3Stir in cucumbers, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper. If desired, add ¼ to ½ cup water to thin to desired consistency. Cover; chill at last 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
4Spoon the gazpacho in bowls. Top with shrimp. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and, if desired, sprinkle with parsley.