They Had Me at Buttermmilk...
I’m a cucumber lover from way back. I can remember picking cucumbers with my dad in our garden, wiping them off, and eating them warm and juicy right off the vine.
I love them in salads (like the Sour Cream Cucumber Salad), in vinegar, water, and sugar with onions, and even sliced in ice water. Heavenly! Naturally, I also love all varieties of pickles – when cucumbers get a little tipsy, it’s a yummy thing.
For a cute way to serve cucumbers to your kids, see How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables.
I’ve never tried cucumbers in soup, but here’s a recipe I’m bookmarking for late summer/early fall. With the soaring temperatures we’ve had lately, it’s hard to think about serving soup – but as soon as the weather cools off just a little bit, I’m going to be all over this cucumber soup!
Buttermilk and avocado lend tang and creaminess to this light, bright soup.
- 2 pounds cucumbers
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- 1 tablespoon tarragon leaves
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 cup sourdough croutons, for serving
- Peel, halve and, if necessary, seed cucumbers. Dice enough cucumbers to set aside 1 cup for garnish; roughly chop the remaining and place in a blender.
- Add buttermilk, avocado, herbs, vinegar, sugar and salt to the blender and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain soup through a fine mesh sieve and thin with water to desired consistency.
- Season soup with salt and pepper, cover and chill at least 2 hours.
- Divide soup among bowls, drizzle with oil, garnish with croutons and serve.
Total Time: 2½ hours For more cucumber recipes, be cool as a cucumber and click the link!
