Cucumber Soup

Last Updated September 13th, 2021 at 05:29 pm by Lisa

Chilled Cucumber Soup (aka White Gazpacho) is a refreshing Summer recipe with yogurt, grapes, green apples, topped with almonds and crab. This cold soup recipe includes lots of other garnish topping ideas for you too!

And it's a great way to use summer cucumbers from your garden. So refreshing when something light, cool, and nourishing sounds good. Whip up a batch in the blender and keep some tucked in the fridge chilled for a couple of days to get through the heat spell.

When hot summer days roll around each year, this recipe is one I look forward to making as the temperatures rise...

What Is Cold Soup?

Cold soup is well simply, just that...cold soup! It is made in cultures all around the world and has been made since ancient times.

A savory chilled soup from Spain, Gazpacho is vegetable-based and is served cold.  There are many theories as to the origin of gazpacho, including one that says it is a soup of bread, olive oil, water, vinegar, and garlic that arrived in Spain with the Romans

Vichyssoise is a cold purée of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. Often served as an appetizer, it is a thick soup and is traditionally served cold but it can be eaten hot.

These soups tend to be lighter than hot winter soups and typically contain less fat and meat per serving. Some are purely vegetable-based but many use light meat, chicken, or fish stocks.

Serving TIP You can serve your soup outside on the patio in pre-chilled bowls (place them in the fridge a couple of hours in advance) or use glass ice bowls that hold the soup in one bowl, with crushed ice in a bowl below...these look so pretty at a party!

How To Make Cucumber Soup

Soup Ingredients

• 6 slices white bread  crusts removed/cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil  divide: 1 tablespoon for leeks, 1 tablespoon for the soup
• 1 cup leeks white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced (see above for my step by step tip for cutting leeks!)
• 2 whole English cucumbers - peeled, quartered, and chopped
• 8 green grapes
• 1 small green apple cored and cut into chunks
• ¼ cup sliced blanched almonds
• 1 cup Greek yogurt  or sub creme fraiche
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 ½ cups cold water  or more as needed
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 tiny pinch cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic

Garnishes For Cucumber Soup

• ½ cup lump crab meat
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• ¼ cup thinly sliced grapes
• 1 tablespoon drizzle of olive oil (try lemon olive oil!)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir leeks until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove to a plate and allow to cool.
2. In a high-speed blender, place cooled leeks, cucumbers, grapes, green apples, almonds, Greek yogurt (or creme fraiche), white wine vinegar, water, salt, cayenne, minced garlic, and bread pieces,  puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Serve garnished with lump crab meat, sliced almonds, thinly sliced grapes, and a drizzle of lemon olive oil

Prep Pro Tip Be sure to cover and chill your Cucumber Soup for 1 to 2 hours, and if possible it even tastes better the next day like everything right?

Serving Pro Tip If you have them, use an icing bowl to serve your chilled soup! It really looks beautiful and keeps the soup nice and cool on a hot day. 

Optional Garnish Topping Ideas 

• Avocado Slices
• Diced Tomato
• Buttery Parmesan Croutons
• Lobster Chunks
• Crispy Bacon Pieces
• Chopped Cooked Shrimp

How To Serve Cold Soup?

1. Make sure it is good and COLD!
2. Serve in individual iced bowls.

The ones you see in the photos were are family heirloom dishes from my parents. I can remember these on our Christmas table for shrimp cocktail, and they are great for cold salads too.

I couldn't find these exact bowls on Amazon but found some that are similar, and people use them for chilled drinks.

More Chilled Soup Recipes

• 23 Chilled Soups To Cool You Down by Tasty
• Easy Tomato Gazpacho with Avocado Relish Recipe by Foodology Geek
• 27 Cold Soups To Enjoy On Hot Summer Days by Food & Wine

Traveling often inspires new recipes for me, and I consider those the best kind of travel souvenirs!

One warm balmy evening I dined outdoors and had a small bowl of cold white gazpacho, it was so refreshing, and REALLY hit the spot.

I sipped the soup with a nice glass of chardonnay on a lovely restaurant patio in Austin Texas. At that moment, I decided to make this recipe, enjoy every refreshing spoonful!