I love cold soups in the Summer. In our home, as a little girl, we always used all the ripe tomatoes to make either Gazpacho or cold tomato soup, that we garnished with egg crumbs, croutons and chopped herbs.
A few years ago, I started to travel and try other recipes like the Spanish Ajo Blanco, the Eastern European Borscht … And try different mixes with summer fruits, seeds, nuts.
In fact, like in everything in the kitchen, the secret is to go experimenting and trying to use new ingredients!
Inspired by a photographer and cook whose work I admire and follow, I wanted to make a cucumber soup. Fresh and light to call the long and hot Summer days, like now in the South of Spain, where Rocío lives.I was adding ingredients that I had at home like the Galia melon, which brings some sweetness, and the avocado, which gives body and texture to this recipe.
Thinking it lacked a different topping, I chopped some fresh herbs, which I mixed with hemp seeds and the delicious Gallo Bio olive oil. It was exactly the special touch that this soup was missing!
When you try it at home, feel free to add whatever you like over this creamy soup: raw vegetables, croutons, roasted nuts, olives, salted granola …!
Cucumber and Melon Cold Soup
4 persons
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers, peeled and seeded
1/2 Galia melon, peeled and seeded
1 medium avocado
1/4 cup cold water
Juice of 1 juicy lemon
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, no germ, optional
1/4 cup Gallo Bio olive oil
3 tablespoons hemp hearts
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
1 teaspoon of sea salt
Method:
1. To make the soup, roughly chop cucumber, melon and avocado and add every ingredient to one blender. Blend very well until you get a very creamy texture (I did it for about 2 min). Adjust the seasonings to your taste and keep the soup in the fridge until serving.
2. Chop the herbs until minced, put them in a small bowl and add the hemp seeds, olive oil and salt. Stir to incorporate and reserve.
3. Serve the soup, topping it with the previously made herb “pesto” and some fresh greens, as in the photos 🙂
with love,
Joana
Sounds really good. I am going to try it.
Please do and share the outcome with me via Instagram!
love,
Joana