Cool Cucumber Soup
This cool cucumber soup is great to make on a steamy summer's day, since it requires no cooking at all.
1 large cucumber
4 bushy sprigs of mint
1 2⁄3 cups (500 g) natural yogurt
2⁄3 cup light cream
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and black pepper
To garnish
4 small sprigs mint
To serve
Ice cubes, optional
- Chill four soup bowls in the refrigerator. Trim, rinse, and dry the cucumber, then grate it coarsely, with its skin, into a large bowl.
- Rinse and dry the bushy mint. Strip the leaves from the stalks and shred enough to give 4 tablespoons, or bundle the leaves together and cut them diagonally into fine strips with kitchen scissors. Add the mint to the cucumber.
- Stir the yogurt, cream and vinegar into the bowl. Season well with salt and pepper and stir again.
- Divide the cucumber soup among the four chilled soup bowls. Add one or two ice cubes to each one if you like to chill it quickly. Garnish with the small sprigs of mint and serve.
Cool cucumber soup variations: You can use sour cream instead of light cream if you prefer a sharper taste, and use tarragon vinegar instead of wine vinegar for a herbier overtone. For a pretty contrast of taste and colour, add a few peeled fresh shrimp to each soup bowl before serving.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
PER SERVING
235 calories
6.5 g carbohydrates (including 6 g sugar)
10 g protein
19 g fat (11 g saturated fat)
Also a good source of vitamins A, B group, E, and folate and selenium.
30 Minute Cookbook, Reader's Digest
