Cucumber and Almond Gazpacho -

Cucumber and Almond Gazpacho

A very refreshing cucumber soup, great for serving on really hot days and to vegetarians/vegans/omnivores as a creamy soup option anytime.

You will need a high-speed blender to get this soup to the creamiest possible consistency, ideally a Vitamix.

Note the instructions to taste the soup for seasoning only after chilling. This is because it takes a while for the salt to disperse and the flavors to fully meld together.

Prep Time15

Chilling time1 10

Total Time1 25

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Vegan

Servings: people

Calories: 643kcal

Equipment

High-speed blender

Ingredients

2 (633 grams) English* cucumbers cut into chunks, about 4 cups
2 cups cold water
¾ cup (90 grams) Marcona* almonds
1 marble-sized garlic clove peeled
1 tablespoon citrus or ume plum vinegar
1½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 baseball-sized ripe peach cut into ¼-inch dice
pinch Espelette or aleppo pepper

Instructions

Trim the ends of the both cucumbers off and discard the ends, then cut the cucumber into large chunks and add to the blender jar (yes, skin and any seeds and all).
Add the water, Marcona almonds, garlic, vinegar, and salt to the blender jar as well, then blend, ramping up to high speed, until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Turn the speed of the blender down to low, then slowly drizzle in the ⅔ cup olive oil and the 2 tablespoons lemon olive oil.
Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the soup, using a ladle to force the liquid through. (Discard any remaining solids from the strainer.) Chill the soup until cold in the refrigerator, at least 1 hour.
Just prior to serving, carefully shake the soup in its container or reblend it (it will have separated slighly, more so the longer you've left it; this is completely natural, expected, and nothing to fret over). Taste the soup for seasoning at this point; depending on how salty your almonds were, you may need to add a little more salt, a little lemon, or a little vinegar.
Serve the chilled soup, garnished with a little spoonful of diced peaches, a pinch of Aleppo or Esplette pepper, and a small drizzle of lemon olive oil.

Notes

*preferably the English or Japanese cucumber style (seedless) but regular cucumbers will do too.

*Marcona almonds are different from traditional almonds in that they are rounder, sweeter, and sold pre-blanched, roasted & salted. They are also the most expensive almond type to buy.

Nutrition