When Life Gives You MORE Cucumbers {Cucumber Melon Gazpacho}
Our happy little backyard garden is still cranking out cucumbers like crazy, so I’m still attempting to find all different ways to incorporate them into our weekly meal plan. Even with giving some away we have plenty to grace our own plates. After making a cold pea and cucumber soup a few weeks ago, I got the inspiration to do another cold soup for these hot July days we’re having here in Atlanta. Yes, it is basically like a smoothie, but I’m still calling it a soup since I’m eating it out of a bowl. Plus I never put a hot pepper in a smoothie.
This past weekend at the farmers market I also picked up a lovely yellow melon from one of my farmers. The local melons are just starting to come into season, so this was the first one I snagged. I had cut some up Saturday afternoon for snacks, but had plenty left to incorporate into my soup for Sunday. Of course we have plenty of mint left in our garden, as well, to add that fresh herbacious flavor to each spoonful! I was quite pleased by how it turned out.
I used a mixture of standard garden cucumbers and lemon cukes in my creation, but feel free to use whatever you have in season or locally available. I’m sure this would be lovely with honeydew or another mildly sweet melon, as well. Cucumber and melon is such a classic combination for summer meals. I’m hoping to grab a fresh watermelon sometime soon to create even more meals to use up my abundant cucumbers!
Cucumber Melon Gazpacho
Makes 4 servings
- 3 1/2 cups peeled, seeded cucumbers, roughly chopped (1/2 cup reserved for garnish)
- 3 1/2 cups peeled, seeded yellow melon or honeydew, roughly chopped (1/2 cup reserved for garnish)
- 1 ripe avocado, pitted and scooped from the peel
- 1 lime, juice
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint, plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cucumber melon white balsamic (optional but delicious!)
- 1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely minced (optional)
- pinch of sea salt
Place everything in the blender with the exception of your extra cucumber and melon for garnish. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
Chill for about an hour then pour into individual bowls. Top with extra cucumber, melon and mint. Drizzle an extra splash of cucumber melon balsamic if you have it or an extra squeeze of lime for an extra pop of flavor!
The bowl was so light and refreshing. The hot pepper that I used was fairly mild, so it added a subtle heat to play off the slightly sweet melon and cooling cucumber. I think it was a Fresno, but I might be mistaken as I got a mixed bag of peppers this past week. Either way the combination was delicious as is, but could easily be tweaked depending on your tastes and what you have locally. To round out the meal we also had a lovely salad with other local goodies like the first pinkeye peas of the season, bell peppers, salad greens and microgreens with homemade pickles and a mustard dressing…perhaps that one will get a post of its own, too. 😉
Plenty more things to make with my market goodies this week, so back in the kitchen I go! Have a deliciously healthy week my friends…
