Here’s a summer soup that’s cool as a cucumber, with a little spice for heat and lots of fresh herbs. I chose parsley, cilantro and dill, but variations are endless. Try it with mint or basil, or both. You can add more spice by mincing in a chili, or flavor the soup with a finely chopped spring onion (green onion) on top. For another variation, add some curry powder — the soup will turn a bright yellow-green. Serve it cold as a first course, and if you have lots of people at your table, double or triple the recipe. There will be calls for seconds.
Soupe de concombre aux herbes / Cucumber soup with fresh herbs
Beyond its value as a delightful and healthy start to a meal, this soup has the advantage of being very quick to make — 5-10 minutes, depending on how quickly you chop. And, as I discovered when there was a little left over, the soup may be used as a sauce! Think of it as a green sauce to be spooned, for example, over cold roast lamb, roast chicken, poached salmon or asparagus. Far lighter than hollandaise or mayo, it will add a nice accent to your summer dishes as the hot weather kicks in.
Site news: The print button is fixed now, and I hope I can dare to say that the technical problems that cropped up during the hacking of this site are now all cleared up. Happy cooking!
What luck. I was just looking for a summer soup OR a cucumber dish. Thanks Meg
I love that “cleanprint” function. Never saw it before — what took people so long? Don’t we all hate printing useless pages? And yes, I obviously just printed out the recipe for cucumber soup — can’t wait to try it! Thanks, Meg!