Cold Cucumber Basil Soup

Cold Cucumber Basil Soup is one of my favorite cold soup recipes. It's a delicious vegan soup for a summer lunch or dinner -- the cool, refreshing cucumber with the aromatic, fresh basil is a lovely combination.

Cold soups can be just as wonderful and comforting as those that are hot. In addition to this refreshing cucumber soup, avocado gazpacho and summer tomato gazpacho are always in rotation at my house when the weather is warm.

Cold Cucumber Soup with Basil is absolutely lovely on a warm summer day. The flavors are refreshing, mild and of course, super delicious.

And this recipe is super quick and easy to throw together in a blender and serve! During my catering days, I used to serve it as a passed appetizer in tiny cups. Guests would drink them. Cute and delicious!

Ingredient Information

• cucumber - I use English cucumbers (also called Hot House or European). They are skinnier, longer, have fewer seeds, and thinner skin than regular cucumbers. However, use your favorite variety of cucumber, including Mini/Persian cucumbers.
• basil - For this recipe do not try to use dried basil. It's all about fresh basil and the recipe calls for a generous amount. Choose bunches of basil that are perky and a deep green color.
• lemon juice - I always use Meyer lemons over regular lemons when given the option. Meyer lemons are a touch less tart and a touch sweeter. And with a thinner skin and fewer seeds, they are incredibly juicy.
• extra virgin olive oil - Use one you love the flavor of. This is especially important in cold soups since the flavor is stronger when it's not being cooked.

How to Make Chilled Cucumber Soup with Basil

- Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half horizontally and then lengthwise.

- Starting at one end, hold a spoon, round side up, and gently scrape downwards, to remove the seeds.

- Roughly chop the cucumbers and add them to a blender with the water, lemon juice, garlic, onion, basil leaves, salt, sugar and a few turns of black pepper. Blend until smooth.

Recipe Tip: A powerful blender is my favorite way to purée this soup to a beautiful, smooth texture. I love this one. A food processor with the blade attachment is my second choice.

- Pour in the olive oil, stir, season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate the soup for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe Tip: This soup is great after chilling for an hour, but it's even better the next day (if you can wait that long).

Serving Suggestions

This cold cucumber soup is fantastic served with salads, and I particularly love it with salmon dishes. Below are a few delicious ideas.

• Fried Meyer lemon Salad
• Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
• Peach Caprese Salad
• Salmon Burgers - with Fresh Salmon
• Olive Oil Poached Salmon

Variations

• A touch of subtle coconut flavor is always lovely in a vegan soup. You can use coconut water instead of regular water to see what you think.
• Lime is also delicious with the cucumber if you prefer it to lemon.
• Dill and cucumber are always a beautiful blend as well, so it might be fun to switch out the basil for it to see how you like it -- or just to mix things up if you make it often.

Making it Ahead

• It's actually best if you can make this soup the day before you want to serve it. The flavors develop even more this way.
• You can make it up to two days ahead, keeping it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy every last spoonful of this delectable Cold Cucumber Basil Soup!

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