Thursday, September 1, 2011

Avocado + Cucumber Soup with Basil OIl

I've been thinking a lot about vegan food lately. You see, I've been vegan for long stretches during my lifetime, but I always seem to find my way back to the middle. 


What's the thing that I miss when I'm eating vegan? Richness. So many already-delicious foods can be made sublime by a splash of cream, a pat of butter, or a swipe of mayo. Suddenly it dawned on me: two of the richest-tasting foods in the world come from plant sources -- avocados and coconut milk. I devised a devilish plan to use both ingredients in one rich, vegan dish. This soup is all we had for dinner the other night, and we were full and satisfied.


Avocado + Cucumber Soup with Basil Oil


2 avocados (peeled, seeded)



2 large cucumbers (peeled, seeded)



coconut milk (1 cup)


half a lime (juiced)


1 teaspoon rice vinegar


1 teaspoon sugar


1 teaspoon sambal


pinch of salt (to taste)


about a cup of water

basil oil (or basil leaves)


handful of rice noodles (fried for a few seconds in canola oil)


fresh chives


The first eight ingredients go into a blender and are puréed until smooth. Add enough water to thin the mixture to the consistency of pancake batter. Chill.  Serve cold garnished with basil oil, fried rice noodles, and chives.

3 comments:

bridgmanpottery said...

YUM. I've been doing a 30 day vegan cleanse, and there are parts that I love, but I miss creamy, and I don't do tofu, one source of creamy. I'm making this- thank you!

The Yogi Vegetarian said...

I just love the sound of this... as I'm vegan myself (on and off for many years, now hopefully on for good)I shall try it for sure, though not much time left for chilled main courses here in the UK as Autumn seems to be setting in already! I don't miss creamy any more, though for the first couple of months I did... but then I eat plenty of tahini and avocado and sometimes Provamel soya dessert and Swedish Glace soya icecream (can you get those in the States?) you can make quite "creamy" sauces with soya milk too.

Andy said...

I'm the same, an on the fence vegan that cannot give up goat cheese and the occasional free range egg.

I made a disappointing gazpacho the other day and think this might better suit what I was craving.

Love your blog by the way, its my #1 go to :)