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Chilled Cucumber Soup With Avocado Toast

5.0(2128)

A chilled cucumber soup, whirled together in the blender to serve as an instant dinner, is one of the quiet rewards of midsummer. The trick to making it hearty enough is to not stint on the seasonings, especially when something as mild as cucumber is the main ingredient. Garlic, plenty of herbs, jalapeño and anchovy add plenty of flavor, while buttermilk contributes a creamy, light texture. You could serve this with nothing more than some crusty or toasted bread on the side and be satisfied, but a topping of soft avocado dressed with a little lemon juice and feta cheese fills out the meal nicely. And the muted green colors of avocado toast and cucumber soup look as cooling as they taste.

by Melissa Clark·published 2013-07-23

Open original recipe

Easy, Quick

Servings

(2–4)

Total time

15 min

Calories / serving

272 kcal

Ingredients (17)

serves

1 pound cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise and seededcucumber
2 cups buttermilk (or use 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt plus 1/4 cup water)buttermilk
1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashedgarlic
2 anchovy fillets (optional)
2 small whole scallions, trimmedscallion
1/2 jalapeño, seeded, deveined and chopped
1/2 cup packed mixed fresh herbs (like mint, parsley, dill, tarragon, basil and cilantro)mint
1/2 teaspoon sherry or white wine vinegar, more to tastesherry
3/4 teaspoon kosher sea salt, plus more to taste
4 slices baguette or other bread, toastedbread
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and thinly slicedavocado
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheesefeta
1/2 lemonlemon
Extra-virgin olive oil, for servingolive-oil
Freshly ground black pepperpepper
1 ear of corn, shucked, kernels sliced offcorn
Fresh dill, for servingdill

Instructions (3 steps)

01In the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine cucumber, buttermilk, garlic, anchovy, scallions, jalapeño, fresh herbs, sherry vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning as needed.
02On the toasted bread, smash the avocado slices. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, squeeze the juice of the lemon half over the top and finish each with a drizzle of olive oil and some pepper. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03Distribute soup between 4 bowls and garnish with raw corn kernels and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve avocado toast on the side.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.