White Gazpacho (Vegan)

Cookgirl's Note:

From Once Again. Allow at least several hours for chilling and to enhance flavor. I always prepare chilled soups first thing in the morning and refrigerate all day.

• Total Time: 15 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 2 cups day-old white bread, crusts removed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped (I added a small amount of lemon cucumbers)
• 1 cup green seedless grape, washed
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (I used whole and save the slivered almonds for garnish)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Garnish

• sliced grapes, green and red
• slivered almonds (toasted or raw-your choice)
• fresh herb (flat leaf parsley, chives, cilantro, etc.)
• extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• sherry wine vinegar, for drizzling
• cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Pass the pureed mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp. <<I skipped this step. It's your choice whether to pass the pureed mixture through a strainer or not.
3. Press the pulp through the strainer using the bottom of a ladle.
4. Transfer the gazpacho to a covered container and chill the gazpacho well before serving.
5. To serve: ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with a few grape slices, slivered almonds, minced fresh herb such as parsley, chives, cilantro, etc., a drizzle of olive oil, splash of sherry wine vinegar, twist of cracked black pepper.