Nathan and I enjoyed the most delicious cold cucumber soup while in East Hampton. It was dairy-free, yet smooth and creamy in texture, a bit frothy even, tasting of little more than pleasantly salty cucumbers and dill. We couldn't stop talking about it and I promised that I'd attempt a version at home.
This soup requires a blender to become truly "creamy" and frothy - a food processor alone won't do the trick. A generous drizzle of olive oil, emulsified with the cucumbers, is what gives the soup its smooth, dreamy texture.
In addition to its addictive deliciousness, cucumbers are nicely de-puffing, a marvelous benefit after two weeks of vacation eating (ahem). I could blame my doughy eyes on the allergy/sinus issues I'm having right now (it turns out that I'm quite allergic to the dried grasses in late-summer Wyoming/Montana).
But I suspect a core sample of my eyelid tissue would reveal microscopic slices of white bread, shakers of salt, and glasses of wine floating around my eyes. Pass the green tea, please.
I grilled a pile of shrimps to enjoy with this soup. Hot shrimps alongside cold cucumber soup made a really light, lovely dinner. It's nice to be home.
Cold Cucumber Soup with Dill
Serves 4
2 lbs. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 c. cold water (perhaps more)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (perhaps more)
1 large shallot, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped dill (or more, to taste)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. honey (or 1/2 tsp. sugar for vegan)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
Place half of the cucumbers in the bowl of a blender. Add cold water and blend on high speed until cucumber is pureed. Add remaining cucumber, shallot, garlic, and dill and blend until pureed. With the blender running, slowly add olive oil, blending on high until the soup becomes quite creamy. Blend in the honey and salt and pepper to taste. Add more vinegar, dill, honey, or water to tweak consistency and flavor to your liking. Chill for a few hours for best flavor, although it's delicious right away as well.
