Creamy Cucumber Soup
On hot summer days, a cool, refreshing soup really hits the spot. I have fond memories of making Julia Child’s vichyssoise with my mom and snipping chives from our backyard to top it off. As a child, cold soup seemed so strange, like something upside down out of Alice in Wonderland.
This Creamy Cucumber Soup echos the flavors and creaminess of vichyssoise, but no dairy or cooking required! It packs a lot of nutrition into a bowl with plenty of fiber and antioxidants as well as some protein and healthy fat thanks to the tahini. Cucumbers are abundant at farmers markets this time of year, and I can’t wait to harvest some from my back deck soon! The quality of ingredients really makes a big difference, so make sure to use fresh cucumbers, herbs and arugula. This is my favorite brand of raw tahini, and I like this olive oil.
It’s best to prepare this in advance and let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour. The flavors will deepen and meld nicely. You can have fun with the garnishes to add some texture and visual interest or keep it smooth and simple.
Ingredients:
4 medium cucumbers, plus another half diced for garnish
1 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
6 Tablespoons tahini
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup arugula
3/4 cup fresh mint leaves, plus a handful for garnish
3/4 cup parsley, plus a handful for garnish
Method:
Chop the cucumbers into large chunks and place them into a 64oz. blender pitcher along with the water, lemon juice, garlic, tahini, olive oil and salt. The pitcher will be quite full, so make sure to put the lid on tightly and blend until you have a smooth, green purée. Now you should have space to add the greens. Blend again until you have a uniformly green liquid. At this point, you should chill the soup for at least an hour before serving.
While it’s chilling, you can prepare the garnishes. Remove the watery seeds and finely dice the cucumber. Remove any thick stems and chop the parsley. Roll up the mint leaves and slice them “chiffonade” style. To serve, pour the soup into bowls and top with the diced cucumbers, parsley and mint.
Serves: 4-6
