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Buttery Cucumber Soup

Mar 14, 2016

Over the summer, when my vegetable garden delivered an overabundance of cucumbers, we enjoyed them in myriad ways. We included them in our salads, of course, and added slices to our water pitcher: the pale green cucumbers floating in the pitcher looked so inviting and the flavor was really refreshing on a hot summer’s day. I had fun creating cucumber cups for all kinds of hors d’oeuvres, stuffing them with fish roe, salmon and crème fraiche, and the Hamptons Cucumber Cups with Crab Meat featured in Hamptons Entertaining. Cucumber juice made its way into a few cocktails and smoothies, and I pickled quite a few cukes in salt water (for our Polish Pickle Soup). Finally, we enjoyed this buttery cucumber soup that gets its creamy texture from avocados.

Here in Florida, avocado season ended later than usual this year. Perhaps it was the unseasonably warm weather. So when a friend dropped off a basketful of locally grown, rich, buttery avocados, I happily pulled this recipe out! Low fat, vegetarian (when you leave off the yogurt garnish) and delicious hot or cold, it is the perfect soup for post-holiday eating.

Yield: Makes 8 cups

Recipe Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

2 small white onion, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 cups peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced cucumbers (5 to 6 medium cukes)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, stems removed, plus more for garnish

2 avocados, roughly chopped

1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, for garnish (optional)

Recipe Instructions

In a stockpot heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir to incorporate. Add the cucumbers, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the cucumbers are soft, about 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the parsley and avocado. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Serve hot and garnish with yogurt and parsley, if desired. If you prefer it cold, allow the soup to cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with the #anniefalk so we can all see it!

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