Garden Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup

Garden Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup

Basil, Cucumber, Sweet and Spicy Red Peppers combine to make a delightfully cool and refreshing summer soup.

It’s taken a month of extreme hot to get me to warm up to chilled soups. After a weekend filled with showers (never thought I’d hear Portlanders gleefully exclaiming “RAIN” on any weekend in July, but after almost two months we were like these animals the first time they saw snow) the heat is back but I’ve come prepared with a bounty of veggies from the garden and the farmers market.

This recipe is inspired by the cold cucumber soup in the Soul Food Love cookbook by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams  — a charming book worth picking up just for the family narrative, bonus healthy soul food, double bonus for having a martini recipe in a book that’s cover touts its focus on health.

Garden Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup

ingredients

• One hot pepper of choice, like a jalapeño or a cherry bomb, finely chopped
• One cored and seeded sweet pepper, diced
• One medium tomato diced
• One cucumber peeled and diced

• 1 green tomato cored and quartered
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup parsley
• 15 leaves fresh basil
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar
• 2 cucumbers peeled and cut into 2-3 inch sections
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 ice cubes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

directions

1. Reserve one piece of cucumber and one piece of red pepper per bowl for garnish, if desired. Otherwise combine diced peppers, the ripe tomato, and diced cucumber in a large bowl. Lightly toss with a pinch of salt and black pepper and set aside.
2. In a blender combine the green tomato, garlic, parsley, basil, olive oil, and vinegar. Pulse until garlic and the tomato are mostly smooth, then add the cucumbers and yogurt and blend to desired consistency. If you want to add the ice cubes to help chill the soup for immediate service add them about midway through blending the cucumbers and yogurt.
3. Pour the puree over the chopped vegetables, stir to combine, and then salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or put in mason jars and refrigerate up to two days (though it is best within twelve hours or so.)

Garden Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup

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Prep Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Servings 4 1/2 cups

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• One hot pepper of choice like a jalapeño or a cherry bomb, finely chopped
• One cored and seeded sweet pepper diced
• One medium tomato diced
• One cucumber peeled and diced
• 1 green tomato cored and quartered
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ½ cup parsley
• 15 leaves fresh basil
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar
• 2 cucumbers peeled and cut into 2-3 inch sections
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 ice cubes optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Reserve one piece of cucumber and one piece of red pepper per bowl for garnish, if desired. Otherwise combine diced peppers, the ripe tomato, and diced cucumber in a large bowl. Lightly toss with a pinch of salt and black pepper and set aside.
• In a blender combine the green tomato, garlic, parsley, basil, olive oil, and vinegar. Pulse until garlic and the tomato are mostly smooth, then add the cucumbers and yogurt and blend to desired consistency. If you want to add the ice cubes to help chill the soup for immediate service add them about midway through blending the cucumbers and yogurt.
• Pour the puree over the chopped vegetables, stir to combine, and then salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or put in mason jars and refrigerate up to two days (though it is best within twelve hours or so.)

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