Avocado cucumber gazpacho is vibrant and zesty, with refreshing cucumber, a slight pop of heat from jalapeño, and creamy avocado to make it more substantial and creamy. After just a few whirls in a blender or food processor (no cooking required!), you've got a zippy and nutritious summer appetizer or side dish that's ready in 10 minutes. Perfect for a summer picnic!
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Gazpacho is a classic cold Spanish soup that's perfect for the dog days of summer when you want a meal that is quick, refreshing, and healthy.
Fun tip: Serve your cucumber gazpacho in mason jars, and jazz it up by adding slices of avocado or cucumber to the rims of the jars as garnish!
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⭐️ Why This Gazpacho is the Best
- Refreshing, zesty, bright, zippy, and herby cucumber soup
- Thick and creamy soup
- Healthy soup that's naturally vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, high in fiber, and made with whole foods and healthy fats
- Super easy recipe that comes together in 10 minutes; no cooking required
- Freezer-friendly recipe
🤔 What is Cucumber Gazpacho?
Cucumber gazpacho is a chilled and refreshing soup that's perfect for beating the heat. It combines crisp cucumbers, creamy avocado, aromatic herbs like parsley and cilantro, and a hint of garlic and onion.
The result is a light and zesty concoction that's best served cold. Think of it as a chilled soup (no cooking required!) that's brimming with cool, summery flavors – ideal for a light lunch or a cool appetizer on a hot day.
🥑 Ingredient Notes
- English cucumber - We use English cucumbers here because they have fewer seeds and are thinner skinned. They are also known as greenhouse, hot house, or European cucumbers.
- Avocado - Adds healthy fats as well as richness and body, making it a perfectly balanced bowl of goodness.
- Jalapeño - Because we seed our jalapeño, the heat is very subtle.
- Lime juice - Always use fresh lime juice if possible. You can use bottled as well, but it won't taste as fresh.
- Maple syrup or honey - Either option works well - we just want the smallest hint of sweetness to balance out the flavors. Out of both options? See my list of the best substitutes for maple syrup.
🌶 Variations and Substitutions
- Spicier: This gazpacho has the slightest pop of heat from jalapeño. If you prefer it spicier, use 2 jalapeños or add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Use your favorite herbs: Fresh herbs like dill, mint, or basil would all be delicious.
- Extra creamy: Add ½ cup of yogurt (use plant-based or dairy) or sour cream to make your gazpacho extra thick and creamy.
- Dried herbs: If you don't have fresh herbs available, you can substitute 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley and ground coriander.
🥄 How To Make Cucumber Gazpacho
*See recipe card below for printable instructions
Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy (this will take several minutes, depending on how small you chopped your ingredients). Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. To serve, garnish with parsley, cilantro, and/or a swirl of olive oil.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to freeze: Pour into single serving freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Make ahead: Prepare up to 24 hours ahead of time and keep chilled until ready to serve.
- Use ripe avocados. Your avocados should be tender to the touch and black in color.
- Serve chilled. Although it can be served immediately, gazpacho is best served chilled, so don't skip the step of chilling it for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Don't peel your cucumber. Cucumber skin contains so much fiber and is totally safe to eat, so there's no need to peel it.
- Thin it with water. If you want to thin out your gazpacho, you can add up to ½ cup of water and give it another whirl in the blender before serving.
🍽 How to Serve Chilled Cucumber Soup
- Cold gazpacho makes a great appetizer accompanied with rolls, crusty bread, or sourdough focaccia.
- Make it a soup and salad night by serving it with cucumber salad or quinoa tabbouleh salad.
- Have a summertime feast by pairing it with zucchini fritters or corn on the cob.
- Keep the Spanish theme going by serving it with veggie fajitas, bean tacos, or chicken enchiladas.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Gazpacho is a cold Spanish soup made of raw vegetables that are blended. Also called Andalusian gazpacho, it originated in the southern regions of the Iberian peninsula and spread into other areas. It is eaten throughout Portugal and Spain, particularly during the hot summer months. There are many modern variations of gazpacho made with avocados, cucumbers, watermelon, and seafood instead of tomatoes.
Traditionally, gazpacho is thickened using either stale white bread or olive oil.
They both work well to add texture and body to the soup, and can be pureed along with the other ingredients. If you eat dairy, adding yogurt or sour cream is an excellent option and increases the creaminess of gazpacho.
Gazpacho is a very healthy soup, as it contains lots of nutrients from fresh vegetables, herbs, and spices. Because we add avocado to our gazpacho in this recipe, it also contains healthy fats, is protein-rich, and high in fiber.
🥒 More Summer Recipes
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Cucumber Gazpacho Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber, roughly chopped
- 2 shallots, roughly chopped
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and creamy (this will take several minutes, depending on how small you chopped your ingredients). Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
- To serve, garnish with parsley, cilantro, and/or a swirl of olive oil.
Notes
- Storage: Place gazpacho in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to freeze: Pour into single serving freezer-safe bags and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Use ripe avocados. Your avocados should be tender to the touch and black in color.
- Serve chilled. Although it can be served immediately, gazpacho is best served chilled, so don't skip the step of chilling it for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Don't peel your cucumber. Cucumber skin contains so much fiber and is totally safe to eat, so there's no need to peel it.
Maike
I've only ever had Cucumber Gazpacho at restaurants. And I had no idea how easy and super delicious it would be to make at home. Thank you for this recipe it's amazing.
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Maike! Yes - gazpacho is so easy to make, and with such a huge delicious payoff!
Michelle
Such a refreshing soup for summer!! Love the addition of cumin to it too 🙂
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Michelle! Yes - I love the warmth that cumin adds!
Julie
This cucumber gazpacho looks super refreshing and delicious.
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Julie! It's the perfect refreshing summer meal!
Heather Johnson
yum! such a delicious refreshing summer dish
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Heather!
Beth
This looks amazing and so yummy! My hubby and I are going to love this! Looks amazing and so yummy. Excited to try this!
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Beth! Let me know how it turns out!
Carol Lang
I look forward to trying this soon.
And I love the mason jar presentation too
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Carol!
Barb+Haner
Your photography is so amazing! I cannot say enough about it.
Gastronotherapy
Thank you!! 🙂