Name: Cucumber Gazpacho with Avocado
Prep time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped; 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped; 6 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1/2 red onion, roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped; 1 teaspoon cumin; 3 cups tomato juice; 1/4 cup red wine vinegar; 1/4 cup olive oil; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced; 2 avocado, sliced

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Up until a few years ago, I had only eaten gazpacho once or twice. But one summer night some friends and I went to see an outdoor movie in Bryant Park, and one of my friends brought homemade cucumber gazpacho to share with everyone. She had the soup portioned out into mason jars for everyone – it was all very impressive. And so scrumptious! And naturally vegan! It was the perfect refreshing meal for a hot summer night in NYC.

Since then, I’ve made gazpacho several times. And always when the summer heat is wearing me down, and I can’t be bothered to make anything that requires heat. That’s when I want a meal that is light, refreshing, delicious, and healthy. Who wants to turn on the oven OR the stove top when you are experiencing the dog days of summer??

vegan cucumber gazpacho in a white bowl with avocado and basil on top

About This Gazpacho Recipe

This recipe for (naturally vegan) cucumber gazpacho is so refreshing, healthy, vibrant, and zesty, with just a slight pop of heat from jalapeño, and creamy avocado to make it more substantial. Fresh basil adds the perfect finishing touch, transporting you to a magical garden where vegetables are plentiful and tended by fairies.

If you plan on serving this in mason jars (which is a genius idea), jazz it up by adding slices of avocado, bell pepper, or cucumber to the rims of the jars as garnish.

gazpacho ingredients in a food processor

gazpacho ingredients in food processor after being pureed

3 Simple Steps to Delicious (Vegan) Cucumber Gazpacho

Combine cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, and jalapeño in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until chunky mixture forms.
Add tomato juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hr. before serving.
To serve, dish gazpacho into separate bowls. Distribute basil and avocado evenly on top of each bowl.

Recipe Tips for Success

Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to blend vegetables in your food processor in 2 batches.
Gazpacho is best served chilled, so don’t skip the step of chilling your cucumber gazpacho for at least 1 hour before serving.
I like my food to be on the saltier side, so I added additional salt to my bowl of gazpacho. Season it to your liking.
Similarly, the heat level of jalapeños varies, so if you need to add more heat to your batch of gazpacho, a dash of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes would work nicely.

silver spoon holding up a spoonful of gazpacho over a white bowl

Enjoy your week, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments – I would love to hear if you try this recipe! Or tag me on Instagram @maryannehoekstra to let me know how it turned out! Also, if you are enjoying my blog, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can subscribe here.

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