Get Premium access to all the latest content online
Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe
Cucumber and avocado gazpacho
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 100g or 3 slices bread, crusts removed
- 1 x 34cm cucumber
- 1 sweet white onion, roughly chopped
- 6tbsp sweet white vinegar (such as a white dolce balsamic or white condimento)
- 1 green pepper, thinly peeled with a vegetable peeler, quartered and deseeded
- 3 sticks celery
- 1 avocado
- 6tbsp natural yoghurt
- 75g bag spinach
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 11⁄2tsp sea salt flakes
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
To serve
- 2 slices bread, crusts removed
- edible flowers and leaves to serve (such as ivy-leaved toadflax, borage or violas)
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
First, prepare the croutons to serve. Cut the bread into 1cm cubes. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and fry the cubes for a few minutes, until golden on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, lift them onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside.
Cut a 6cm piece off the cucumber, deseed and dice and put aside in a small bowl for garnish. Cut the rest into rough cubes and put in a large bowl.
Put the onion in a small bowl
with 1tsp of the vinegar and 3tbsp
cold water and put aside. Chop
a quarter of the green pepper into small dice and put aside for garnish. Roughly chop the
remainder and put in the large
bowl with the cucumber.
Cut off half a stem of celery and finely dice for garnish. Put aside with the cucumber and pepper. Roughly chop the rest and put in the large bowl with the cucumber and pepper.
Place the bread, garlic and the rest of the vinegar in a dish with 250ml cold water and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Halve and stone the avocado and scoop it into the yoghurt. Place in a blender and whizz to a purée, then tip into a large jug. Put the soaked bread and garlic in the blender with the onion and the soaking liquid (use the smoothie setting if your machine has one) with the chopped cucumber, pepper and celery, the spinach, spring onions, chillies and 200ml cold water. Serve with the garnishes on top. Spoon some dots of oil over and scatter with the edible flowers.
Advertisement