Cold Cucumber Soup
Light, refreshing and vegan
I developed this recipe out of the necessity to use up way too many cucumbers from the garden. It’s a take on the Spanish ajo blanco soup, but with cashews instead of almonds, and the addition of three whole cucumbers. The result is an unbelievably creamy and fresh cold cucumber soup. Plus, it’s vegan!
When in doubt, blend it up
All I did was plant two cucumber plants and now I am glaring at a pile of about ten cucumbers on the countertop as I write this post. And don’t even get me started on the ones that will need to be harvested later tonight that are still growing on the plant.
I’ve made enough pickles for a year, I’ve sliced them and dipped them in hummus while resting the extra slices on my eyelids like an enjoyable time at the spa. I’ve even pawned them off on friends and family with the text “can you handle some cucumbers?”.
And then, it hit me like it always does when I have too much of something from the garden: blend those suckers up! I can’t believe how easy and satisfying this cold cucumber soup is. Perfect for hot and humid summer days, and an easy way to use three whole cucumbers at once.
Cold Cucumber Soup Ingredients
- Cucumbers : Really any variety of cucumber will work in this recipe, but I’d shy away from any jumbo cucs that are really seedy in the middle. Just use the equivalent of 3 medium cucumbers like you might find at the grocery store.
- Cashews: I’m in love with these organic cashews. When they’re already split, they soften much faster when soaked which results in a super creamy cold soup.
- Olive Oil: Use a quality olive oil for this recipe since there are so few ingredients in this raw soup. Choose extra virgin or something you might use for a salad dressing if you can.
- Garlic: . Make this as garlicky as you want! Garlic is what really brings flavor to this soup so don’t hold back. You’ll have to love the taste of raw garlic to enjoy this recipe.
Questions about making cold cucumber soup
Can I make this with almonds instead of cashews?
I think you definitely could! This recipe is based off of the traditional ajo blanco recipe made with almonds so I’m sure it would work. You should still soak the nuts and peel them as well. However, I do think cashews lend a way creamier taste than almonds with zero grittiness.
Will cold cucumber soup freeze well?
Yes! Just give it another whiz in the food processor after defrosting and chill again before serving.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time? How long will it last in the fridge?
Another yes! This actually benefits from being chilled in the fridge where the flavors have some time to get to know each other. This cold cucumber soup will last about 5-7 days in the fridge.
How should I garnish cold cucumber soup?
This is the extra fun part. I love to use borage flowers for their cucumber-y flavor and for their extreme beauty- duh! I think fresh parsley and dill is perfect along with some freshly cracked pepper and a splash of olive oil. My husband loved it with urfa pepper, a little za’atar and some aleppo pepper.
Cold Cucumber Soup
Ingredients
- 3 medium cucumbers
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 T sherry vinegar
- 1-1.5 cups cold water
- salt to taste
- sliced cucumbers, borage flowers, cracked pepper, olive oil, fresh herbs to garnish
Instructions
- Soak cashews in warm water for a minimum of 1 hour up to 4 hours.
- Peel cucumbers and slice them into large chunks.
- When ready to make the soup, drain and rinse the cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with the peeled cucumbers, garlic, sherry vinegar, olive oil and salt.
- With the blender running, slowly pour in water until desired consistency is reached.
- Chill soup in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Serve cold with extra sliced cucumbers, borage flowers, fresh herbs, cracked black pepper or anything else that makes you happy.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @growingwithgertie on Instagram.
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