Mendocino Gazpacho

The traditional recipe for Spanish gazpacho calls for puréeing all the vegetables along with some bread to add body and texture. I prefer mine more like a chowder, and instead of incorporating the bread into the soup, I like to make it into garlicky croutons to use as a garnish. You could make this a meal by adding some cooked shrimp or, my favorite, lobster. Other vegetables are fair game, too, like a little crisp jicama or young zucchini.