Chilled Cucumber Soup

Nancy submitted this one as well, which is on a new track for Help! I Have A Fire In My Kitchen. We don't get enough recipes like this one! And I really thank her for making the adjustments to keep it "kosher". She writes:
Right now in Pennsylvania spring is beginning to introduce some warmth to us, after a winter of strange excesses of climate changes: very cold snaps followed by very wet periods which produced much flooding.

As my youngest son Jacob and I were enjoying our first day out in the sun in our rather ragged looking backyard, I said, "Jake, I am now thinking of chilled summer soups. I can't wait to start making them. How about you? Do you want me to get some together already?"

He immediately agreed, but said the first one had to be my specialty, Cucumber soup. Having just showed him this super new blog I discovered (Help! I Have a Fire in My Kitchen!), he suggested I post the soup recipe. So here it is, with some adjustments to make it Kosher.

This is a super soup for summer days on the patio. Even my grandchildren (most of them, that is) like it. Be prepared for a few more of these chilled soup recipes in the future. I love to share them.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:

  1. 3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
  2. 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  3. 1 leek (just the white part and a small amount of green), well-washed and chopped. Leeks get very sandy, so it should be washed carefully.
  4. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  5. 3 cans of vegetable broth (or veggie stock, if you're a purist)
  6. 2 Cups of buttermilk
  7. 2 Cups of plain yogurt
  8. 1 teas. powdered Cumin
  9. Salt and white pepper to taste
  10. Chopped mint leaves for garnish

Directions:
  1. Pour the three cans of veggie broth in a deep pan with all the chopped veggies and the cumin.
  2. Cook for about 20 minutes at a slow simmer until the veggies are tender.
  3. Puree' the soup in a blender in small batches (I say small because you don't want hot soup splashing on you)
  4. Mix in salt and pepper and chill the soup for an hour or so.
  5. Using a whisk, mix in the buttermilk and yogurt, and chill the mixture again until you can't wait to serve it, or until it is refreshingly c-o-o-o-l.
  6. Sprinkle some chopped mint on top of each bowl of soup. I also like to put a light sprinkling of ground cayenne pepper on the surface of the tureen of soup before serving. You can see what a fiery food lover I am.
  7. Enjoy.
Simple and easy - two stars for difficulty. This shows a great combination of veggies and milk into one great sounding soup. I also like Nancy's choice of spices. It sounds like she really knows what she is doing in the spice and veggie department. Hopefully, Nancy will submit more recipes. But she better watch out for Paula! I get the feeling it would be one hell of a restaurant if these two ever set up shop together!
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Comments

Paula and Elwood's Poetic Palace said…
Oh this reminds me of fruit soups I have made. Nance, the first time you served a cold soup, did you watch as some blew on their spoon as if to cool it off?

It is fun when someone new tries a cold soup and is pleasantly surprised at how flavorful it is.

Now this insane cook must look for the cold fruit soup recipes which work as an appetizer or dessert.

I could imagine a restaurant combining the recipes of all who contribute here. There would be a year long wait to get in due to the fabulous food.
4/25/2007 7:59 PM
ALWAYS QUESTION said…
Neat comment, Paula....thanks!

Yes, LOL, I know what you mean about the unexpected surprise of a cold soup. My step-grandson, Alex, looked at the soup in the serving bowl and asked what it was. I explained that it was soup, and would he like some. "Sure!" he said, (he's a good sport). One sip and he looked up at me, startled and said, "Grammom, you forgot to put it on the stove!" I laughed and explained, and thought he'd turn it down, but he took a few more sips and decided he loved it. His Mom was non-plused at this. Now that he is a teenager, he often asks for it when he's visiting me.

Yes, methinks you and I could serve up some super-yummy delectables!
4/25/2007 11:14 PM
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