Cool as a Cucumber Soup

Since there is nothing I love more than variations on the Cucumber + Yogurt theme (Indian food without Raita is like night without stars!) I decided to try my hand at making Cold Cucumber Soup.


I looked around on the internets for awhile to find the perfect recipe, but none of them seemed quite right. So here I go, winging it.

(Please forgive my pictures. All I had with me was my cell phone, so the images are a bit grainy.)

The stars of our show. (Not Pictured: Salt, Lemon)

The Process:

• I couldn't decide if I wanted to try a mint version or a dill version of the soup, so I made the bold choice to use both. This was a good choice.
  

• I decided to use greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt to give it more depth and better consistency. I think with a thinner yogurt the soup would have been way too watery.

• I used one clove of garlic and this made the soup very garlic-y. Yum. As long as you don't plan to make out later. A few dashes of cayenne pepper also gave it a little kick, and a couple of tablespoons of lemon added some balance.
  

• You all know how I am about salt, so, um, "salt to taste."

• Basically, after peeling, seeding, and coarsely chopping the cucumber, I threw everything in the blender.
  

Blend it, blend it.

The Presentation:

• I held back some chopped up cucumber to throw in after blending to give the soup a little more crunch. Because I was feeling fancy, I also set aside a few thin slices of cucumber and a sprig each of mint and dill.
  

• One of the recipes that I found called for an avocado mash to serve in the center of the soup. That sounded like blasphemy, but it did give me an idea for a side dish for the soup--avocados with lime juice and salt plus some fancy tortilla chips I had lying around. Oh yeah, and of course wine.

Ta-da!

The Verdict:

There were no unbiased judges for this experiment, but I really liked it and would make it again. It is a pretty light soup so if I was cooking for, say, Arie I would probably serve it as a side, with a much heartier main course. It also tasted even better the next day, so the next time I make it, I might prepare it ahead of time and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.