Cucumber Gazpacho

Gazpacho is the quintessential summer soup, showcasing the season's darlings of ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers. This version uses only cucumbers for a gorgeous green hue.

I served this as the second course at a few private events with Anni of The Quail & Olive.

Years ago I had the pleasure of having gazpacho at our Spanish friends' house! And I asked her her secret because the color was beautiful. Two words: olive oil. She said to add more olive oil than I would think necessary. This is not Susanna's recipe because I don't use bread and I added vinegar.

Originating in the Spanish region of Andalusia, but popular all over the Iberian Peninsula, gazpacho is a soup made of raw vegetables and served chilled. This was more of a drink than a soup served in small mason jars as an accompaniment to some crisp raw vegetables with an olive oil dip.

Ingredients

• 3 organic cucumbers, peeled and cubed

• ⅓ cup whole almonds (I used Marcona almonds)

• 2 to 3 Tablespoons Roasted Garlic Olive Oil (on The Quail & Olive website)

• 2 Tablespoons 30-Year White Wine Vinegar (on The Quail & Olive website)

• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves + more for garnish

• 1 cup water

• salt

• pepper

• Smoked Olive Oil for garnish (on The Quail & Olive website)

• Also needed: blender or food processor

Procedure

Process all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon into individual serving bowls and garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Drizzle with Smoked Olive Oil and serve immediately.