Summer soup

This is our new favorite soup of the summer! We love a good tomato based Gazpacho (my recipe for that is coming soon) but there is something equally cool and refreshing about a zesty cucumber gazpacho. Add garlic, jalapeno, lime, cilantro, Vegan sour cream (more on this below) and you have a wonderfully light yet creamy and satisfying, slightly spicy soup that is sure to please.

Please note – “sweating” the cucumbers is a MUST for this soup.  Cucumbers are 96% water! If you do not sweat out the water your soup will be, well, watery. I learned this the hard way, my first batch was very unappetizing. So do NOT skip this step.

I thought this version was just the perfect amount of spice, so if you want more – add in a few seeds from the jalapeno. I promise you will love it!

Creamy Vegan “Cool as a Cucumber” Gazpacho

5 medium garden cucumbers (not English), “sweated” (see below)

1 and  1/2 cups VEGAN sour cream (the best of the best is Kite Hill)

1/4 chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 ground coriander

1/4 fresh cilantro

zest from one lime

the juice from 2 limes

1/2 tsp sea salt plus additional salt for “sweating” cucumbers

1/2 tsp pepper

Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.

Salt the cucumbers generously and place on a paper towels. This will sweat out the water. After about 10 minutes, flip them over, and salt the other side, and wait ten more minutes.

In a high speed blender, add sour cream, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, salt and pepper. Process for a few seconds.

Wipe down both sides of the the cucumbers with a paper towel (this removes the additional salt too). Add to the blender and blend until smooth.

Serve immediately. I like to chill my serving bowls in the freezer while I am making the soup. Add the cucumber soup and garnish with a variety of things to include more chopped cucumber, chopped red onion, lime zest, basil leaves, mint leaves, chopped celery, and even crispy sourdough croutons.

Enjoy!

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Creamy Vegan “Cool as a Cucumber” Gazpacho

Author: Gay Van Beek for Canterbury Cottage Designs

Ingredients

• 5 medium garden cucumbers not English, “sweated” (see below)
• 1 and 1/2 cups VEGAN sour cream the best of the best is Kite Hill
• 1/4 chopped red onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno seeded
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 ground coriander
• 1/4 fresh cilantro
• zest from one lime
• the juice from 2 limes
• 1/2 tsp sea salt plus additional salt for “sweating” cucumbers
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
2. Salt the cucumbers generously and place on a paper towels. This will sweat out the water. After about 10 minutes, flip them over, and salt the other side, and wait ten more minutes.
3. In a high speed blender, add sour cream, red onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, salt and pepper. Process for a few seconds.
4. Wipe down both sides of the the cucumbers with a paper towel (this removes the additional salt too). Add to the blender and blend until smooth.
5. Serve immediately. I like to chill my serving bowls in the freezer while I am making the soup. Add the cucumber soup and garnish with a variety of things to include more chopped cucumber, chopped red onion, lime zest, basil leaves, mint leaves, chopped celery, and even crispy sourdough croutons.