It is August in Andalucía. At eight o'clock in the evening the thermometer still reads 39°C. The kitchen is no place to be — or at least, not for long.
This Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho takes perhaps ten minutes to make, requires no heat whatsoever, and goes straight into the fridge to chill while you find somewhere cool to sit. It is pale green, ice-cold and quietly refreshing in a way that only a chilled soup on a hot Andalucían evening can be.
The aceite verde comes from Montetucci, the olive mill in the village. In Jaén province you don't have to look far for good oil — and in a dish this simple, it matters.
If you like the idea of a cold green soup, my Courgette and Feta Gazpacho is worth a look too.
What is Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho?
Classic gazpacho is tomato-based — the deep red, garlicky cold soup of Andalucía that needs no introduction. This cucumber avocado gazpacho takes the same principle — blend, chill, serve cold — but goes in an entirely different direction. Pale green, creamy from the avocado, fresh and sharp from the lime, it is lighter and more delicate than its tomato cousin. No cooking. No heat. Nothing to stand over.
It is also, frankly, exactly what you want to eat when it is 39°C at eight in the evening.
The Ingredients
Two large pepinos are the backbone of this cucumber avocado gazpacho — peeled, deseeded and blended with good olive oil, lime, garlic and a ripe avocado. The miso paste in the original recipe I came across has been quietly dropped; at the quantities involved it was doing very little, and this soup doesn't need it. The flavours are clean and should stay that way.
The aceite verde is non-negotiable. A mild, generic oil would flatten the whole thing. Use the best you have.
Make it for Two — and the Make-Ahead Note
This recipe serves two, which is the right call for a dish like this. Eat one portion immediately, press clingfilm directly onto the surface of the second to exclude air, and refrigerate. It will keep well for 24 hours and the flavour often improves overnight. Beyond that the avocado will begin to discolour, so don't push it.
The Garnish
Keep it simple. Halved white seedless grapes for sweetness, fresh mint leaves for the cool, a drizzle of aceite verde and a turn of black pepper. The grapes are not decorative — they work. The sweetness plays beautifully against the lime and the chill of the cucumber.
How to Make Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho
Serves 2
For the gazpacho
- 2 pepinos (about 600g), peeled and deseeded
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
- Zest and juice of ½ lime
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Flesh of ½ ripe avocado
- 50ml cold water
To garnish
- Halved white seedless grapes
- Fresh mint leaves
- Aceite verde
- Black pepper
Method
- Put all the gazpacho ingredients except the avocado into a food processor. Add the cold water and blend thoroughly.
- Add the avocado and blend again until smooth and well combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning — more lime, more salt, as needed.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve in chilled bowls, garnished with halved white grapes, fresh mint leaves, a generous drizzle of aceite verde and a turn of black pepper.
A Few Notes on Cucumber Avocado Gazpacho
The pepino — in Spain, pepino is simply the word for cucumber. The variety you find in Spanish markets tends to have a firmer, thicker skin than the long Dutch cucumbers common in the UK and elsewhere — worth knowing if you're sourcing locally. Peel and deseed thoroughly either way; the seeds carry most of the water content and will dilute the flavour if left in.
The avocado — it must be ripe. An underripe avocado will give you a bitter, grainy result. Press the skin gently before you buy; it should give slightly.
The lime — start with half and taste. Some limes are more assertive than others.
The oil — as noted, aceite verde if you have it. The oil is not background here; it is part of the flavour.
Make ahead — press clingfilm directly onto the surface before refrigerating to slow discolouration. Serve within 24 hours.
This cold soup is part of The Flexible Chef's Soup Recipes hub — a growing collection of soups for every season.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef
