This is such a refreshing chilled soup for a warm summer day. All you need to do is add the ingredients to a blender and in two minutes it’s ready to sip on. The avocado creates a nice creamy texture, and the nori gomasio is the perfect, simple, salty, and crunchy condiment to sprinkle on top.
CUCUMBER AVOCADO GAZPACHO INGREDIENTS
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup Water
2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
½ Avocado
2 large Cucumbers, chopped
1 tablespoon Shallots, diced
1 small Clove Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Nori Gomasio (recipe below)
Drizzle of Sesame Oil, toasted
CUCUMBER AVOCADO GAZPACHO ASSEMBLY
1 | Put the olive oil, water, vinegar, salt, red pepper flakes, avocado, cucumbers, shallots, and garlic into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust any other seasoning that you feel necessary.
2 | Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before serving.
3 | Divide amongst 4 bowls, and top each with gomasio and sesame oil, if using. (This is best if enjoyed immediately, but will keep for a day or two in an airtight container in the fridge.)
*Serves 4.
Nori Gomasio:
Gomasio is a Japanese condiment made up of sesame seeds and salt. (I like to think of it as a more nutritious finishing salt.) I often add some nori to my gomasio, which ups the nutritional value and gives it a boost of iodine, a nutrient we all need. I sprinkle this over anything and everything, from soup to salad to roasted vegetables and even over my oatmeal for breakfast.
NORI GOMASIO INGREDIENTS
1 cup Sesame Seeds
1 tablespoon Sea Salt
1 sheet Toasted Nori, coarsely chopped
NORI GOMASIO ASSEMBLY
1 | Heat a medium frying pan over low heat, and add the sesame seeds.
2 | Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.
3 | Transfer the seeds to a food processor and pulse just a few times until the mixture is uniform in size (tiny granules) — but be careful not to overprocess as you still want to give texture to the sesame seeds. (This will last for several months in an airtight jar in the pantry.)
*Makes a little more than 1 cup.
From More with Less: Whole Food Cooking Made Irresistibly Simple by Jodi Moreno © 2018. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.
