Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho

Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho is a refreshing, chilled first course with lots of fun garnish options.

I love this simple bowl of garden goodness. It all started when my dear friend Tracey shared the bounty of basil and cucumbers from her garden. Looking for something new to try, I landed on a light cucumber gazpacho. I liked the Greek yogurt and the touch of citrus in this recipe which adds a delightful tang. Plus, the green onion, garlic, and fresh basil provide nice notes of herb and savoriness. As is, this gazpacho was light and enjoyable.

An Avocado Hunch

But my taste buds were craving a little more creaminess. That’s when I glanced down at the avocado I bought as a garnish. What if I added half of this to the blender, I wondered? Only one way to find out! The result was a velvety texture that was like eating a soup version of guacamole. Delightful.

Cucumber Recommendations

Thin-skinned cucumbers are recommended because this recipe uses unpeeled cucumbers. This lends a nice green color to the gazpacho. I used garden cucumbers that were not waxed and did not have bitter skin. But the easiest option is to use an English cucumber. They are readily available in most larger grocery stores and have thin, non-bitter skin and very few seeds. Look for the long, skinny cucumbers wrapped in plastic.

A few other options include; unwaxed garden cucumbers like I used, or mini cucumbers (about 5 inches long. As a last resort, you can use regular cucumbers. If you go this route, taste to see how bitter the skin is. Then peel them if necessary. You can add some extra basil or fresh spinach to amp up the green color if desired.

Garnishing Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho

There are lots of options for topping this fun little first course. Here are the versions I tried and a few more from the original Cucumber Gazpacho recipe. (You have to check out this link to see the beautiful garnishes. They are literally works of art.)

• Small cooked shrimp
• Chopped cucumber
• Chopped avocado
• Fresh basil (small leaves, chopped or cut into a chiffonade)
• Chopped radish
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Swirl of yogurt, thinned with a little water
• Lime zest
• Thinly sliced green onions

Gazpacho Galore

If you are more of a traditionalist, check out my tomato-based gazpacho. Instead of tasting like a bowl of guacamole, it tastes like a bowl of salsa. It would be fun to serve both of these gazpachos side-by-side in the same bowl for a gazpacho tasting party.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho, a chilled summer soup, provides flavorful garden goodness from ripe tomatoes, roasted peppers, cucumbers and basil.

Check out this recipe

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Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho

Cool and creamy chilled soup featuring refreshing cucumber, rich avocado, yogurt, sour cream and basil.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 2

Author: Adapted from Feasting At Home’s Cucumber Gazpacho

Ingredients

Cucumber and Avocado Gazpacho

• 1 large English cucumber 12 ounces sliced (see cucumber recommendation note in post)
• 1 green onion cut into pieces
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 c. basil
• 1-2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 avocado cut into chunks
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Garnish Options

• small cooked shrimp
• diced avocado
• diced cucumber
• sliced green onion
• small basil leaves

Instructions

• Process the first 11 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin if desired.
• Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight.
• Top individual bowls with desired garnishes and additional salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.