Raw Vegan Avocado Gazpacho

Fellow avocado lovers, today is your day! Prepare to dip your snouts in the avocado trough of Heaven. For those of you who have not yet embraced the joys of avocado – this avocado gazpacho just might intoxicate you! This quick and easy raw gazpacho is like “liquid guacamole” that kicked me into a pleasure-induced coma and that had me “coat-checking” my teeth and dreaming up a raw vegan recipe for a “taco in a glass”. Hmmm…food for thought.

But for today, I continue my celebration of “all things gazpacho” inspired by Janet Mendel’s wonderful article in the LA Times Food Section. Janet posted an exotic white gazpacho recipe (Ajo blanco con uvas) - an unusual emulsion of white garlic, almonds and grapes that has its origins in the Moorish-Arabic culture. This had my curious taste buds dancing with excited anticipation. But it was the less traditional avocado gazpacho that had my snout twitching uncontrollably to the point where I actually drooled on the newspaper! Those of you who have been reading for a while are well acquainted with my penchant for avocados. Those little green bliss bombs seem to find their way into my blender (my Vitamix) on a daily basis. Avocados make a fantastic nut free base for vegan dips, spreads, puddings and desserts; and they are a fantastic sugar free way to thicken smoothies instead of bananas. So it begs the question. Why had I not thought of an avocado gazpacho? Or better yet, “liquid guacamole”? As I always say, “why chop when you can blend”? Needless to say, I grabbed my blender carriage with one hand, my stash of avocados with the other, and was on an avocado gazpacho blending mission! If you are looking for fantastic Vitamix recipes or blender recipes and LOVE avocado you just have to make this amazing raw vegan avocado gazpacho. For those of your following the Body Ecology Diet and looking for delicious easy body ecology recipes, this avocado gazpacho is just to die for!

Janet’s avocado gazpacho utilized the traditional soaked bread crumbs and olive oil. But just like the tomato gazpacho I made earlier in the week, I used cucumbers instead of bread to give this soup some body. This also keeps the avocado gazpacho completely raw. I also didn’t add much olive oil, as avocados are so naturally oily. I have used quantities for garlic, salt and herbs as a guide only. These quantities led me to my perfect blend. But you might want a bit more heat, garlic or cilantro for your raw gazpacho. I have deliberately kept this avocado gazpacho simple. It is deceptively rich with a subtle flavour that dances across the palate before leaving a lasting impression. Have a few tastes of this raw gazpacho before you add more pizzazz. Also allow for some chilling time to allow the flavours to infuse. Traditional raw gazpacho is made with cold water with purists serving it at room temperature. However, I find that avocados can get a bit warm after being blended; and I prefer to enjoy this soup chilled. I served this soup as a main meal garnished with extra avocado (I know! I am a pig), tomato, cilantro, and green onions. For those of you following the Body Ecology Diet just omit the tomatoes. If you serve it with all the toppings in soup bowls this recipe serves about 4 – 6 people. But those of you less indulgent avocado connoisseurs might find that “a little goes a long way”. If this is the case, you can stretch this recipe to 8 people and serve this avocado gazpacho in small ramekins or glasses for an appetizer. Alternatively, the base of this raw gazpacho is flavourful enough to stand alone. It has a smooth, creamy texture and flavour that will impress the most devout cream dreamers; and is delicious served as a tiny taster in shot glasses. You could jazz this avocado gazpacho up with a dash of tobasco and a sprig of cilantro. Yummo!

This recipe is a wonderful allergy free raw vegan dish for something different on a hot Summer’s day. It is gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free and soy free. Thankfully – not taste free! It is one of those easy healthy recipes you will blending up again and again. Just be sure to use avocados that have just become ripe, with no bruising or brown spots -- this can really affect the flavour. Only the primo avos for this blend!

Let me know what you think. But this little raw gazpacho concoction gets a satisfied grunt from me. It is scrumptious. But then again -- I am half avocado!