On a hot summer day, there is nothing more refreshing than a cup of cold soup. Markets and gardens are bursting with fruits and vegetables in their prime, fragrant and tender, with colors that dazzle the eye. Cold soups are literally a salad in the blender, easy to prepare, provide a hefty dose of nutritional benefits, and allow for lots of culinary innovation.
This recipe for Cold Cucumber Soup is from my archives, and uses tangy buttermilk as its liquid base. A byproduct of making butter, true buttermilk is the liquid remaining after the butter has been churned. The product sold in supermarkets today is usually just commercially prepared by adding a special bacterial to low fat milk. Trust me, there is a taste difference! For the best flavor, try Kate’s Real Buttermilk.
This invigorating soup is seasoned with fresh mint instead of the customary dill. Unleash your creativity. Try fresh, bright green basil leaves and tiny purple basil flowers. For a faint licorice flavor, use feathery fennel fronds and pieces of chopped stems.
A recent New York Times preparation, the recipe for Chilled Zucchini, Lemon and Basil Soup is an elegant repast, and packed with nutritional benefits. Add some chopped Maine lobster or fresh crabmeat and this cold soup could be on the menu in award-winning restaurants like Aragosta at Goose Cove here on Deer Isle.
When hot summer days and abundant rainfall produce zucchini and cucumber explosions in your garden, try making these cold soups. Harvest the fruit in the morning, fire up the blender, chill the soup, and enjoy the sips of summer.
CHILLED ZUCCHNI, LEMON & BASIL SOUP
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Zucchini Roughly chopped
- 2 cups Basil Leaves Save some to serve soup
- 1 cup Roasted Cashews (5 ounces) Plus 1/4 cup to serve soup
- 6 tbsp Lemon Juice (or more to taste) About 2 lemons
- 3 Garlic Cloves Roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp Sesame Tahini
- 2 cups Vegetable Stock
- Dash Soy Sauce (more to taste if needed)
- Maine Sea Salt & Fresh Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Serve
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients and tools.
- Tear the leaves off the basil and set aside.
- Wash and trim the zucchini. Roughly chop to fit in the blender. Set aside.
- Roughly chop the garlic and set aside. Juice the lemons and set aside.
- Add the chopped zucchini, basil leaves, lemon juice, chopped garlic, sesame tahini, and vegetable stock to the bowl of your blender or food processor.
- Starting at slow speed, puree the ingredients and increase the speed to blend to a smooth puree.
- Add the cashews and blend again until smooth. Taste the soup, and season to taste with a dash of soy sauce, Maine sea salt and fresh pepper.
- Chill the soup for at least 2 hours. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the top. Garnish the top with basil leaves and a few chopped cashews.
Cheryl's Notes
Nutrition
COLD CUCUMBER SOUP
Ingredients
- 4 cups Cucumbers (About 3) Seeded (if large seeds) and peeled (optional)
- 1 Garlic Clove Finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk Fresh is best (try Kate's)
- 1/4 cup Fresh Mint Leaves Plus leaves for garnish
- 2 Ice Cubes
- Maine Sea Salt & Fresh Pepper To taste
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients and tools
- Wash the cucumbers and trim the ends. No need to peel if using garden cucumbers. Chop into pieces. Add to the bowl of your blender.
- Finely chop the garlic clove. Add to the blender bowl
- Tear mint leaves from the stems.
- Add the mint leaves, buttermilk, vinegar, and the ice cubes to the bowl of the blender. Puree until smooth. Season to taste with Maine sea salt and fresh pepper.
- To serve, pour the soup into chilled bowls and garnish each bowl with cucumber slices and mint leaves.