This summer is hotter than ever before here in Hamburg. The sun is just burning and the air is not moving! Every step I make, I am looking for shadow or ice-cream. Hehehe. But since I can’t live eating only ice-cream (I mean I could, but I shouldn’t), I made this delicious and refreshing cucumber gazpacho.
Gazpacho is a cold dish based on raw, blended vegetables. Probably you all have heard of the Spanish gazpacho, which is made with tomatoes. In fact, the Gazpacho originates from south Spain (Andalusia).
This cucumber gazpacho is a perfect solution for a summer lunch or dinner. It will cool down your body and give you a new energy boost. Sounds amazing, right?
Ingredients for about 1200 ml of cucumber gazpacho (2 portions):
- 3 spring onions
- 1 cucumber (big)
- 1 garlic clove
- 5 stems of basil (use only the leaves)
- 1 shallot
- 2 avocados
- salt, pepper
- 2 limes
- 350 ml chilled water
- olive oil
- 150 ml yoghurt
- a can of chickpeas (optional)
- chili powder (optional)
This cucumber gazpacho is very easy to prepare. All you need is a cutting board, a good knife, a pot (or anything else where to put the gazpacho) that fits into the fridge and an immersion blender.
In the ingredients, I wrote also chickpeas. These are only optional. However, they are a great, crunchy addition to the gazpacho. One more thing; it takes around 35-40 minutes to make them and involves using a hot oven. I warned you, now it is on you to decide. Hehehe.
Despite the heat, I chose to roast some chickpeas and give them that lovely crunch. It’s simple. Preheat the oven to 185ºC. Now, you only need to drain them in a sieve, then dry them as much as possible with a paper towel and place them on a baking dish covered with baking paper. Coat them with some salt and chili powder (if you like it spicy) and put in the oven until crunchy. In the meantime, you can relax (outside the kitchen) with a refreshing drink.
Once the chickpeas are roasted, let them cool down.
Time to make the cucumber gazpacho!
Clean and chop the spring onion, garlic and shallot. Wash and cut the cucumber into 2cm big cubes and put everything in the pot. Then add the basil leaves, creamy avocado, juice of the two limes and the chilled water. Season well and blend (with an immersion blender) until you get the desired consistency. Mine was almost liquid, but I left some texture. Put the pot in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
Serve the cucumber gazpacho in a bowl or glass. I really like to top it with a spoon or two of plain yoghurt. And as the last touch, garnish with the crunchy chickpeas and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil.
Enjoy!
