Cold Avocado + Cucumber Soup

I love cookbooks. There, I said it.

Love them in a I don't even want to make the recipes, I just want to stare at the pictures and lovingly caress the pages. A month ago, Francis let me use a lingering wedding giftcard to buy Giada's new cookbook. I perused it. Loved it. Added it to our cookbook menagerie. A few days later, I saw Gwyn's new cookbook and HAD to have it. After a stern talking to from the Mr. about my obsession love of cookbooks, and a promise from me that I would actually make the recipes, Gwyn and I walked out of the store together.

Her book is filled with new twists on classic recipes, all focused on eating clean and healthy. We had to take a trip to Whole Foods (who am I kidding, that place is like a vacation for me) to pick up a few less common ingredients, like brown rice syrup and grapeseed oil. My mother-in-law rocked my socks and hooked me up with gochujang, sesame seed oil, fish sauce and other Asian flavor goodness. Then, I was ready to roll. 

I've been rocking a fuzzy fro all week due to the heat and humidity, so any recipe that doesn't require stove, oven, or heat of any kind is a friend of mine. Enter --- Cold Avocado + Cucumber Soup.

This is it, folks. All the ingredients for a delicious summer soup.

NOTE: The recipe calls for the juice and zest of 3 limes. Next time I make it, I'll either take away a lime or add a cucumber and avocado. Though delicious - the lime flavor was a bit overwhelming. 

I scooped out the seeds of 2 large cucumbers. (Really easy to do - just use a spoon.)

Roughly chopped the cucumbers. They are going into the blender, so no need to be too precise. 

Add lime juice and zest. 

Add cucumbers, 2 avocados, and a pinch of sea salt. Blend away. 

The avocado makes the soup creamy, the cucumber makes it refreshing,and the lime adds a nod to summery citrus (too much in this case, but now we know.)

Here's the recipe:

Cold Avocado+Cucumber Soup

Serves 4

Vegan

Zest and juice of 2 limes

2 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded, roughly chopped

2 avocados, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Combine everything in powerful blender and blitz until it's totally creamy and smooth.

Bon appetit!

images: hilaryclair