Cucumber Avocado Basil Mint Gazpacho

Cucumber Avocado Basil Mint Gazpacho is the perfect summer time soup and is so refreshing because its served cold and made with fresh summer vegetables.

Gazpacho is a soup made of raw vegetables and served cold.  According to wikipedia, it is usually made with a tomato base, and it is originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia.  But we’ll just consider this gazpacho because its made from veggies and is served cold.  Its actually vegan, too. 

Did you know cucumber is really good for you?  According to my resources (google search, to be exact), the health benefits are plentiful.  Allow me to list them for your reading pleasure:

1. Keeps you hydrated because its 96% water.
2. Fights heat, both inside and out.  Provides relief from heart burn when eaten and sunburn when rubbed on skin.
3. Flushes out toxins, and can actually dissolve kidney stones if you consume enough of it.
4. Provides an abundance of vitamins, containing vitamins A, B and C which boost immunity, gives you energy, and keeps you radiant (all the more necessary once a woman hits her mid 30s – I speak from personal experience).
5. Supplies minerals your skin loves including magnesium, potassium and silicon.
6. Aids in weight loss.  Not, however, when followed by brown butter brownies.
7. Reduces under eye bags and puffiness when cool slices are applied (again, all the more necessary once a woman hits her mid 30s – I speak from personal experience)
8. Provides cancer-fighting potential.  Super important in this GMO preservative day and age.
9. Stabilizes blood pressure.
10. Cucumber juice refreshes and heals diseased gums, leaving your mouth smelling good.  A disgusting and interesting fun fact.

I used basil and mint from the pot that’s just outside my back door.  Foodie test:  Can you identify which is the basil and which is the mint?  Note: that is not a real toad.

I don’t always photograph the ingredients, but I thought these were way too gorgeous not to.  In fact, I ordered a 24×36 inch canvas of the photo below and its being delivered next week.  I kid… or do I?

And here is a top view of the finished product.  Fun facts:  I don’t usually provide top view photos because I shoot with a 105mm macro lens and a top view involves me standing on the table to get even part of the dish in view, but this gazpacho deserved it.

This cucumber avocado basil mint gazpacho has a creamy base due to the avocado and a fresh finish due to the cucumber, basil and mint.  It definitely requires crunch so be sure to serve it with toasted almonds and/or warm crusty bread (in my case it was the and, not the or).

Cucumber Avocado Basil Mint Gazpacho

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Serves 4     adjust servings

Cucumber Avocado Basil Mint Gazpacho is the perfect summer time soup and is so refreshing because its served cold and made with fresh summer vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of avocado or olive oil
• 2 small handfuls fresh basil, stems removed
• 1 small handful of fresh mint, stems removed
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 cucumber, skin on, seeds removed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 green onions, only roots removed
• 2 cups water
• 1 lime
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Make herb oil to be used for garnish. In blender, combine oil and roughly 1/4 of the basil and mint leaves. Set aside and allow flavors to blend.
2. In blender, combine remaining basil and mint leaves with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Chill in air tight container in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Garnish with herb oil, cucumber slices, toasted almonds for crunch and/or fresh basil and mint leaves. Goes exceptionally well with a crusty bread.

by Krissy