Buttermilk Cucumber Gazpacho
From the Jenn Louis collection
| Serves | 4 to 6 |
| Yield | 6 cups |
Introduction
Culinate food editor Carrie Floyd first tasted this soup at a Plate and Pitchfork dinner; Jenn Louis of Culinary Artistry created the recipe.
Ingredients
| ¾ | cup whole blanched almonds | |
| 4 | oz. rustic white bread, crust removed, bread cut into chunks | |
| 2½ | lb. Kirby or regular cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 4¾ cups), plus 1 unpeeled cucumber, diced, for serving (about 9 cucumbers total) | |
| 2 | small garlic cloves | |
| ½ | cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling | |
| 3 | Tbsp. fresh lemon juice | |
| 1 | cup buttermilk | |
| 2 | tsp. coarse salt | |
| ~ | Freshly ground pepper, to taste | |
| ¾ | cup cold water, plus more if needed | |
| 4 | scallions, sliced, for serving | |
| ½ | bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving |
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread whole almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until brown and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Place bread in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let stand 10 minutes. Squeeze out and discard liquid.
- Purée half of each of the whole almonds, bread, peeled cucumbers, and garlic in a blender. Add half of each of the oil and lemon juice, and purée. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the other half of the ingredients.
- Stir in buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Add water; if a thinner consistency is desired, add more water. If the soup is too chunky, pass through a medium sieve. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. If desired, thin with water before serving. Serve cold. Drizzle with oil, and serve with diced cucumber, scallions, and parsley.
Notes
Read more about Plate & Pitchfork’s summer dinners.
This content is from the Jenn Louis collection.