Chilled Cucumber Soup with Cilantro Olive Oil Drizzle
By: Eva Taylor
Published: Thursday, August 25, 2011 - 12:16pm

Ingredients




1 large English cucumber, washed but unpeeled, roughly chopped or grated
4 shallots, peeled and diced finely
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup low sodium stock, either chicken or vegetable
1 cup fat free unflavoured yogurt (or buttermilk)
Splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Non-stick spray
4 tbsp EVOO
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
Pinch of sea salt

Preparation

1 Make this a day or two in advance to allow flavours to combine. 2 Heat a cast iron pan and spray with non-stick spray lightly. 3 Sauté shallots until translucent, add the garlic and stir just until you smell it. Remove from heat immediately. Allow to cool completely. 4 Add cucumbers to a deep bowl, add cooled onion, garlic and yogurt and start blending with an immersion blender. Add stock little by little until the desired consistency is achieved. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. 5 Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir well before serving. 6 Cilantro oil 7 Mix both oil, cilantro and pinch of salt. 8 Mash cilantro gently with the back of a spoon (I used my gorgeous olive wood mortal and pestle from Provence). Set aside at room temperature until ready to serve. 9 Pour cucumber soup into serving bowls, drizzle with the cilantro oil, serve chilled.

About

This soup was part of a five-course dinner we made for a good friend who recently suffered a heart attack. The theme was heathy, healthy, healthy!