In this gazpacho avocado is blended together with cucumber, lime and Serrano pepper for a chilled creamy, velvety soup that is perfect for hot summer weather.
Here in California I don’t have air conditioning in my apartment so during the summer months I search high and low for recipes that don’t require turning on the stove. It can be exhausting working in my apartment with the stove on all day. This one requires no cooking and minimal prep work. I love a good soup even in the middle of summer and this is one that can be eaten in hotter temperatures without breaking a sweat.
California Avocados are in season right now so take advantage of them while you can! The blended avocado acts as a healthier thickening agent instead of cream for a smooth base for this soup. Since they will be blended, look for California Avocados that are ripe. To determine this, gently squeeze the avocado in the palm of your hand, it should be firm but should give slightly.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
Avocado – When shopping for avocados, look for ones that are firm but “give” slightly when gently squeezed in your hand. You can also remove the top stem, though I prefer to call it a nub, at the top of the avocado – if you remove it and it is green, it’s most likely ready to eat. If it’s brown then it’s probably overripe.
Serrano – Serrano peppers are long, bright green peppers similar in flavor to jalapeños but pack about five times the punch. While jalapeños range between 2,000 to 5,00 Scoville units, serranos are between 5,000 and 15,000 Scoville units. If you can’t find serrano pepper, substitute jalapeños.
How to Make Avocado Cucumber Lime Gazpacho with Crab
For the soup:
Blend the gazpacho. Add the avocado, cucumber, lime zest, lime juice, green onion, serrano and yogurt to a blender and puree until smooth.
Thin the soup and season. Add ½ cup water to thin the soup and continue to blend. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Serve. Divide the soup among small bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Top with avocado, crabmeat and pepper.
What Type of Crab Should I Use?
There are several different grades of crab meat sold already out of the shell in stores or online for purchase.
Jumbo lump crab (also known as colossal lump) is the highest quality – the pearly white large chunks of crab come from where the crabs connect to the swimmer fins. They are the most expensive because there are only two of these per crab.
Lump crab meat comes from broken pieces of jumbo lump crab and large chunks of body meat. It’s slightly less expensive than the jumbo grade but still has great flavor and a bright color (should be white to slightly off-white).
Backfin crab meat consists of smaller pieces of broken lump crab meat mixed with smaller pieces of body meat. It is still textured and has a good flavor. It’s another good option if you can’t find lump crab meat.
Claw meat is small and looks more shredded and is a pinkish-tannish color. It is very flavorful but too shredded for crab cakes and is best in soups!
Other Recipes to Try
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