Author Notes
What I love most about cucumbers is their crunchiness and their delicate, fresh flavor. That's exactly what I tried to highlight when creating this recipe. Served very chilled, the soup is not only light, but extraordinarily refreshing -- a perfect hors d'oeuvre or first course for a summer menu.
For a bit of fun, I like to serve this soup in stemless martini glasses (it's easy to sip and won't fill anyone up before dinner). For a gorgeous presentation, I garnished the glasses with yellow tomato cubes and a drizzle of lemon-infused oil.
And just like that, the humble cucumber is transformed into a green gazpacho every bit as exciting and delicious as its big sister! - Viviane Bauquet Farre —Viviane Bauquet Farre
Test Kitchen Notes
Green gazpacho is the best way to describe this chilled soup -- it has the same cooling effect, same slightly pulpy consistency, and same garlic and onion framework as its tomatoey forebear. But this version is nutty and a bit creamy, with some lovely little garnishes -- lemon oil (which is very nice, but olive oil would be fine too), yellow tomatoes and baby mint leaves. A super quick recipe with very impressive results. - Kristen —The Editors
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Ingredients
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1 3/4 pounds
seedless cucumbers – peeled and cut in 3” pieces (or 2lbs regular cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut in 3" pieces)
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1/4
medium red onion – skinned
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1
garlic clove – skinned
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1
jalapeño – stem removed, halved and seeded
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8
large mint leaves
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2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
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1 teaspoon
maple syrup
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1 teaspoon
sea salt
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1, 6 ounces
non-fat plain yogurt
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1/2 to 3/4 cups
spring water to taste
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1
medium yellow tomato – seeded and cut in 1/8” cubes (or 8 yellow grape tomatoes quartered) as garnish
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tiny mint leaves as garnish
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lemon oil as garnish
Directions
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Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with 1/2 cup of the spring water. Pulse a few times so the ingredients are coarsely chopped, then process until soup is very smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. If necessary, thin with the remaining water to the desired consistency.
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Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight, until well chilled. Place the soup in the freezer for 30 minutes before serving.
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Ladle soup in chilled soup bowls or cocktail glasses. Drizzle a little lemon oil in the center of each bowl. Garnish with a few tomato cubes, a mint leaf and serve immediately.
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Cook’s note: The soup can be refrigerated up to 2 days.
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