Cucumber Gazpacho Recipe, An Easy Chilled Summer Soup How To

If you are after the perfect summer dish, this cucumber gazpacho recipe is the one you need to get your hands on. Fresh, cold enough to get a brain freeze and extremely easy to make as well. If all of this did not sell this cucumber gazpacho to you, then I don’t know what will because this dish needs no introduction, no convincing and, more importantly, no cooking. A bit like this watermelon salad with feta with love, or even this butter bean salad (which does require you boiling some eggs). And how about this latest pesto orzo salad?

Since making this it the first time, we now tend to hold a big batch of this cucumber gazpacho to snack on. This cucumber gazpacho is perfect on hot summer days when all you have to do is put everything in a food processor and blitz. It’s a great way to use up some of those old cucumbers taking up space in the fridge, as this light lunch can be served as a chilled soup on the hot days this summer will offer.

I know, the whole idea of a chilled summer soup it’s kind of mind-boggling, but I can assure you that this creamy cucumber gazpacho is a perfect dish to serve in the heat of summer, and through the hottest summer months you will still be able to enjoy one of the cucumber recipes we have fallen in love with. Perfect on every occasion, from a dinner party served as a side dish with some crusty bread or in small glasses with a couple of cucumber slices to sit on the side, we have loved it for a cold lunch with friends who were all extremely surprised this cold cucumber soup recipe was as delicious as we claimed.

Cool and no-cook cucumber gazpacho recipe

This cucumber version of a traditional gazpacho might honestly not have anything to do with the original tomato counterpart, but in no way less delicious than the original. And the best part of it? No cooking is required for this beautiful cucumber gazpacho recipe, making it one of those new recipes you definitely need to add to your array of special ones for dinner parties or special snacking sessions.

What’s gazpacho and where is it from?

Gazpacho is an Andalusian dish consisting of blended raw vegetables. The main base of this dish is traditionally tomatoes and peppers and one thing all the different vegetables or fruit versions have in common is the fact that are all served cold. 

Of all the delicious cold soups you can find around, this Spanish dish is one with plenty of history: traditionally, gazpacho was made by pounding vegetables in a mortar with a pestle; this more laborious method is still sometimes used as it helps keep the gazpacho cool and avoids the foam and silky consistency of smoothie versions made in blenders or food processors. A traditional way of preparation is to pound garlic cloves in a mortar, add a little soaked stale bread, and then olive oil and salt, to make a paste. Next, very ripe tomatoes and vinegar are added to this paste. 

Gazpacho may be served alone or with garnishes, such as hard-boiled eggs, chopped ham just like in the salmorejo variety from Córdoba, chopped almonds, cumin and mint, orange segments, finely chopped green bell peppers, onion, tomato or cucumber, like in this case (Wikipedia). 

How can I serve my gazpacho?

As I have mentioned before, generally speaking gazpacho gets served with very different toppings, if anything at all. It really depends on what kind of serving impression you are trying to make. We have served it as is with some extra crunch as garnish and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, but the options are honestly endless. From some thinly sliced red onion for a kick, to simple green onions and fresh mint.

But even fresh herbs, chopped fresh pineapple, an extra dollop of creme fraiche or Greek yogurt. Edible flowers would give this dish that extra factor and pop of colour, but so would adding slices of green chili and some extra diced cucumber. As you can see, packed with healthy ingredients from beginning to end.

What ingredients do I need to make this cucumber gazpacho?

The cucumber gazpacho recipe I am about to share with you needs quite a few ingredients, but none of them will require any cooking. Barely any chopping at all, which means the fresh flavors will shine through this beautiful dish. Of course, it has a resemblance to traditional gazpacho recipes by doing so, but the ingredients will bring you one of the best results anyway.

Let’s start off with the cucumber: we have opted for English cucumbers, but regular cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are also good options. If you want to go the extra mile, seedless cucumbers could also be an option, but I can tell you for a fact that you will not taste them at all by using a high speed blender, and even if you use an immersion blender you will be fine.

Then it’s time for the rest of the fresh vegetables and fruits: the lime juice, fresh of course, then the parsley which will give the dish a beautiful color. You will also need a shallot or sweet onion, garlic and green chili. For dairy, and to make this Spanish soup as creamy as it gets, you will be using a combination of Greek yogurt and sour cream. Then of course it’s time for salt, black pepper and extremely good quality extra virgin olive oil. The perfect selection and the perfect way to consume some fresh summer produce without the need to cook or bake. Raw veggies all around, for everyone involved. 

How do I make the cucumber gazpacho?

This recipe for the cucumber gazpacho is one of the easiest and best gazpacho recipes you can ever decide to make. First thing first, prepare all your ingredients: wash and cut the cucumbers, juice the lime, peel the garlic and chop the shallot and green chili. Then all you need to do is place all the prepped ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend everything, then add the Greek yogurt, sour cream, olive oil, salt and pepper and blend again. And done.

You can either serve the cucumber gazpacho immediately or you can let it cool down in the fridge for a couple of hours. Either way, the flavor profile will be packed with fresh flavors all around. When you are ready to serve, garnish with extra cucumber, green chili and sour cream, plus a drizzle of olive oil.

A couple of notes on this preparation: to get the desired consistency on your cucumber gazpacho, you might decide to add extra or less Greek yogurt and sour cream. I would recommend starting low if you feel like they might be a bit much for you. Secondly, the salt and black pepper also need to be adjusted according to taste, so do taste as you go before you refrigerate the cucumber gazpacho.

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So if you’re ready to get making this cucumber gazpacho recipe and get your whole summer to revolve around this beautiful summer soup, get blitzing now!

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