Chilled Cucumber Soup With Avocado Toast

By Melissa Clark

Updated August 7, 2025

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
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Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(2,152)
Comments
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A chilled cucumber soup, whirled together in the blender to serve as an instant dinner, is one of the quiet rewards of midsummer. The trick to making it hearty enough is to not stint on the seasonings, especially when something as mild as cucumber is the main ingredient. Garlic, plenty of herbs, jalapeño and anchovy add plenty of flavor, while buttermilk contributes a creamy, light texture. You could serve this with nothing more than some crusty or toasted bread on the side and be satisfied, but a topping of soft avocado dressed with a little lemon juice and feta cheese fills out the meal nicely. And the muted green colors of avocado toast and cucumber soup look as cooling as they taste.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

  • 1 pound cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded

  • 2 cups buttermilk (or use 1 ½ cups plain yogurt plus ¼ cup water)

  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed

  • 2 anchovy fillets (optional)

  • 2 small whole scallions, trimmed

  • ½ jalapeño, seeded, deveined and chopped

  • ½ cup packed mixed fresh herbs (like mint, parsley, dill, tarragon, basil and cilantro)

  • ½ teaspoon sherry or white wine vinegar, more to taste

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher sea salt, plus more to taste

  • 4 slices baguette or other bread, toasted

  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

  • ½ lemon

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 ear of corn, shucked, kernels sliced off

  • Fresh dill, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

30 grams carbs; 13 milligrams cholesterol; 272 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 769 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine cucumber, buttermilk, garlic, anchovy, scallions, jalapeño, fresh herbs, sherry vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning as needed.

  2. Step 2

    On the toasted bread, smash the avocado slices. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, squeeze the juice of the lemon half over the top and finish each with a drizzle of olive oil and some pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Distribute soup between 4 bowls and garnish with raw corn kernels and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve avocado toast on the side.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,152 user ratings
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Comments

Stuart

This was very delicious, refreshing and elegant. I skipped the toast but crumbled the feta, with the corn kernels, into the soup. Perfect. I kept pretty much to the recipe, otherwise. No single flavor stood out, which I think is how it should be. More vinegar or lots of lemon or more anchovy or whatever might threaten the delicate balance of this one. I rarely say that, but there's perfection here...

mdurphy

This turned out to make a really complex spring soup, with a few spontaneous changes. First, I used a VitaMix to get a really smooth puree. Use twisty armenian cukes; 1 T of fish sauce, instead of anchovies; green garlic, instead of the garlic and scallions; lots of mint and lemon balm, by way of herbs; 5 or 6 whole kumquats and about 1 T lemon juice, instead of vinegar; puree the avocado with the soup; add salt and hot sauce at the end to taste. Garnish with chopped mint or basil and EVOO.

Shelley

I have made this soup with and without the anchovies. i have found the soup has much more depth with the anchovies added...so I wouldn't leave them out.
This is an excellent warm weather lunch and sooo easy!

NW

If making this with local, unwaxed cucumbers, do they really need to be peeled and seeded? Not doing so saves time, decreases food waste, and adds color. They are being food processed/ blended anyway.

Chandra

Really good! I did not have buttermilk, so I used plain kefir instead (since it suggested yogurt and water). I put in a few extra anchovies, and used 4 slices jalapeño from a jar instead of fresh. Dill and tarragon were good together. Don't skip the corn, it adds a juicy crunch; frozen corn kernels were fine. I will make this again.

Natasha

Because it is hot here, I made this tonight, following the instructions. I took the lazy route and used Persian cucumbers, which gave it a gorgeous green color. However, I think it would have been better with regular cucumbers. The cucumber flavor really didn't come through the way it should have, and even with just two anchovy fillets that taste overshadowed the mixed fresh herbs. I'll try again with summer cukes. I'll hold off rating until I've tried it with those ingredients.

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