Cold, light, refreshing, delicious – and surprisingly versatile. This is my new ‘soup of summer.’ I’m going to have it on hand ALL summer. I first served it with seared scallops drizzled with Spanish olive oil and fresh cracked pepper. Since then I’ve topped this soup with shredded buffalo chicken and hard boiled eggs; all were delicious. If you’re a fan of hot sauces and blackened meats – you will LOVE this soup as a base! The cool soup balances hot and spicy perfectly. Note – the soup tastes better the longer it chills, so make ahead if you can!
Cold Cucumber Dill Soup
2 lbs. cucumbers peeled, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (but I added a few more splashes after tasting)
1 large shallot, chopped (or less to taste)
3 Tbsp. dill (more to taste, I like a little more)
1/4 cup olive oil
Drizzle of honey – no more than about a tsp.
Salt – a few pinches
I use my NutriBullet, but a blender works too. Combine half of the cucumbers, half of the water and a pinch of salt. Blend really well – until completely puréed; the NutriBullet did this perfectly in one cycle.
Add remaining cucumbers, water, dill, shallot, red wine vinegar – blend again. For the Nutribullet, one additional cycle is perfect. At the Nutribullet ‘pause,’ add the drizzle the honey and salt – then slowly add olive oil. If you’re using a normal blender, when almost completely puréed, keep the blender running while adding those final ingredients.
Chill for a few hours – even better overnight. Top with seared scallops, spicy shrimp, blackened fish, hard boiled egg, the sky is the limit!
Update!
I’ve made this soup at least three times since I created it. The photo below is my absolute favorite new lunch! The soup is topped with a sliced hard boiled egg, roasted/salted pumpkin seeds, Cholula hot sauce and Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Crunch, texture, cool, hot – SO GOOD!
