Chilled Cucumber Soup

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I love how certain recipes and food take us right back to a certain memory from childhood.  For me, this soup IS my childhood.  I grew up in LA and the Summers are HOT......although, right now we're having a heat wave in Seattle that beats out the current temp in LA.  Every Summer my mom would make this chilled cucumber soup.  I remember helping squeeze the lemons and chop the fresh dill.  We'd sneak spoonfuls as it chilled in the fridge.  She served it for every summer party, Hollywood Bowl concert, bbq and it even made an appearance at the start of football season.  Yep, my mom is fancy that way!  While every other tailgate party had grilled hot dogs and burgers, we were eating chilled cucumber soup and poached salmon.  

This is the perfect summer dinner when it's too hot to cook.  And, yes, there is a little stove time, but you can make it the night before when the weather cools off.  And then enjoy it the next day when the temps get toasty.  

I love using chicken stock because it adds a richer flavor than vegetable stock.  But if you want to make this vegetarian, vegetable stock will absolutely work! 

 

WHAT KIND OF CUCUMBERS SHOULD YOU USE?

Honestly, the best ones are the ones growing in your garden.  If that's not an option, I love English cucumbers because they don't have seeds and, personally, I've found they don't have the....ummmm....how do I say this politely?.....gas issue like other varieties. 

CAN I USE VEGETABLE STOCK INSTEAD?

Yep, vegetable stock will absolutely work!

 

CAN I USE COCONUT MILK INSTEAD OF CREAM?

Because of the flavor, I wouldn't substitute coconut milk.  If you need to use a dairy alternative, you could try unflavored almond milk.  Let me know how it turns out!

 

DO I REALLY NEED TO PEEL THE CUCUMBERS?

Trust me, I hate any unnecessary steps in a recipe, but this is a step you really do need to do.  The peel of a cucumber can be pretty bitter, so peeling it removes the bitterness so you'll have a lovely smooth flavored cucumber soup.  

 

Cold Cucumber Soup

Cucumber, leeks, dill lemon combine to make a super refreshing soup. Perfect for when it's way too hot to cook!
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Keyword: cold soup, cold summer soup, cucumber recipe, cucumber soup recipe, easy cucumber recipe, easy weeknight soup recipe, summer soup
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons  butter
  • 3 cucumbers  (2 peeled & sliced, 1 peeled and grated)
  • 1 leek  (sliced, white part only)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon  flour
  • 3  cups  chicken stock
  • 1  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  cup  heavy cream
  • 1  lemon Juice
  • 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh dill
  • Chopped fresh dill
  • Sour cream
  • A few sprigs of fresh dill

Instructions

  • In a large stock pot, melt butter. Add 2 peeled and sliced cucumbers (reserve the 1 peeled and grated cucumber for later), leek and bay leaf. Sauté gently for about 20 minutes, or until tender. It's ok if the leeks get slightly brown, but you want to sauté just to get the cucumber and leek nice and tender, so a fork easily pierces with no resistance.
  • When they're nice and tender, stir in flour until fully incorporated. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. You want the flour to thicken the soup, but you don't want the flavor of the flour. That's why it's important to sauté for another couple minutes after adding it. Add chicken stock and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
  • Blend mixture, half at a time, in an electric blender until completely smooth. Be careful if it's still hot! You shouldn't have any bits of cucumber or leek. If it's not completely smooth, you can always strain it through a sieve. Put soup into a container, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until chilled.
  • Remove container from refrigerator and add the 1 peeled and grated cucumber you had set aside, cream, and lemon juice. Stir in dill and a sprinkle of white pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. As it sits, the flavor will develop, so you can always add more lemon juice or dill before serving. Chill in refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight. You want the soup to be very very cold.
  • Serve in chilled mugs with a garnish of sour cream and fresh dill.
Have you made this recipe?I'd love to know! Leave a comment or recipe rating and tag me @amenuforyou on social media!

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