This vegan cold cucumber soup is the absolute best summer appetizer to help cool you down on a hot day! It's light, refreshing and comes together within 10 minutes. You will love how easy it is to make: just throw everything in the blender! Plus, it's wholesome, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free.
I love making soup so much, especially the creamy ones. They are usually easy to prepare and just like for this cheesy vegan broccoli soup, the leftovers often get better over time. They make for a perfect healthy meal to prepare ahead and you know how much I love to meal-prep!
But, with the hot days right now, it's not tempting to gobble on a hot bowl of soup. To cool down on a hot day I usually make salads with fruits like this quinoa orange salad or bean salads, but we have been missing creamy and silky soups. So here comes this vegan cucumber gazpacho!
And if a chilled cucumber soup sounds odd to you, than you are up for a fun surprise. It is SO good. The hydrating cucumbers combined with rich avocado, tangy vinegar and zesty fresh basil really makes a unique combo that's extra refreshing and super creamy. This soup has a cooling effect that's perfect to enjoy during summer.
It is also such a great way to use the abundance of cucumbers from the garden. It makes a fun change on how to use this vegetable and enjoying a soup that's cold is something you have got to try!
What you will need to make this vegan cold cucumber soup
Cucumbers make for the base of the soup and are combined with fresh basil, red wine vinegar, green onion and garlic. These ingredients will enhance and brighten up the flavors of the cucumber.
Lots of regular cucumber gazpacho will use also dairy (usually yogurt) to create a super creamy texture. In this case, the delicious rich consistency from this dairy-free cucumber soup is brought by avocado. Its healthy fat makes the soup extra luscious and helps carry all the flavors together.
How to prepare the cucumbers to avoid a bitter flavor
Cucumbers can be quite bitter, especially the plump home garden ones. Long and skinny cucumbers you buy at the grocery store are usually smoother in flavor since they are selected and grown for their sweeter flavor profile.
If you are using cucumbers that are a on the bitter side, then make sure to remove their ends and peel them. Then, slice them in half lengthwise, remove and discard their middle seeds and watery filling using a spoon. This will help remove most of the bitter flavor from the vegetable and make sure your chilled cucumber soup is smooth and a little on the sweet side.
How to make this blender soup recipe
This is a very simple summer recipe: everything goes in the blender!
After blended, it can be eaten right away at room temperature. But, if you have extra time, I recommend to chill it in the fridge for an hour or two. The cooling effect from the soup will be better and this will give enough time for the flavors to combine together even more.
How to blend this vegan cold cucumber soup
High speed blenders will give you a super smooth and creamy consistency that's best for this recipe.
If you have a regular blender, then you might need to blend for a little longer to make this soup as smooth as possible. Take a few breaks, scrape the walls and blend again.
Using a food processor will work as well, only expect for a chunkier soup that won't be as smooth.
If you only have an immersion blender, then you can also use it to blend this soup. Simply use a large bowl and blend for as long as you need to remove most of the vegetable chunks.
In any cases, if you are looking for a smoother texture after blended, then don't hesitate to run the soup through a fine mesh colander before serving of storing.
Recipe variations
- If you don't have red wine vinegar, use either freshly squeezed lime juice or apple cider vinegar. This will bring a similar tangy flavor. If doing so, you might need to adjust the amount you use, so start with less and taste as you go.
- I have done this same recipe with fresh dill instead of basil and oh, it was really good too. You would need about 2 packed tbsp for this recipe.
- Instead of water, you can use almond milk (or add a dollop of vegan yogurt) to make this soup even creamier (be sure to use plain and unsweetened).
Best ways to serve this vegan cold cucumber soup
Reserve this soup for when you need a fresh start to your meal or to simply serve it during gatherings. It will for sure catch everyone's attention.
I find this soup best when served in smaller portions. Sizes of about ¾ cup in small glass jars is great. Just like tiny cucumber shooters!
Then, top with some hearty or crunchy toppings. Chopped avocado, tomato, cucumber and basil works great.
This soup goes well with crusty bread or crackers. It would also be a great addition to a platter of appetizers: people can just grab their individual jars.
Other cucumber recipes you might like
I hope you will love this cold summer soup as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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Vegan cold cucumber soup with avocado and basil
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 4 cups cucumber (about 2 small cucumbers) - Ends trimmed, peeled and seeded.
- ½ large avocado
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 green onions
- ⅓ cup fresh basil - plus more for serving
- ⅔ cup water - or more to thin the soup as desired
- ¾ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend for 30-60 seconds or until the mixture is very smooth.
- You can serve the soup immediately at room temperature or chill it in the fridge for an hour or two before serving to get a colder soup.
- When serving, garnish with chopped avocado (use the other half), tomato, cucumber and fresh basil. Sprinkle with kosher salt if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make the soup even creamier, you can swap the water for vegan plain milk or add a dollop of vegan yogurt to the blender.
- Using a high speed blender will make this soup extra smooth and silky, but if using a regular blender, food processor or even an immersion blender, then don't hesitate to have the soup go through a fine-mesh blender before serving or storing.
- Store the soup in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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