White Gazpacho (Vegan)

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.

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 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.