Cold Creamy Cucumber Soup

Summer is not over yet! Cucumbers are still plentiful and temps are reaching 80 this week.

When life gives you cucumbers- make soup! Cold cucumber soup is one of my summer favorites. Cucumbers are low in calories but high in nutrients. They help to maintain proper hydration levels, help to shed excess water weight and may help lower blood sugar. The cashews are a heart healthy fat that may help in mood support. The fresh herbs are rich in nutrients plus they make everything taste amazing. That’s right, this soup can help you to lose weight and make you happy!

This cold cucumber soup is adapted from a recipe in Food and Wine.

Cold Creamy Cucumber Soup

Serves about 8 people

Ingredients:

2 large cucumbers peeled and chopped and seeded

1 cup of cashew cream (or, if you have a high speed blender, 1 cup of raw cashews)

1 cup of chicken bone broth (can be substituted for vegetable broth)

3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 small shallot

1 garlic clove

1/3 cup loosely packed dill

¼ cup parsley leaves

¼ cup cold-pressed unfiltered olive oil

Salt to taste

Pinch of black pepper

½ red onion- finely chopped

Directions:

In a blender combine all but the red onion, salt and pepper until smooth. Reserve some diced cucumber for garnish.

Season with salt and pepper. garnish with red onion, chopped dill, chopped cucumber and a drizzle of olive oil and serve! This soup gets richer when you leave it in the fridge overnight so make it a day in advance if you can.

By Tapp Francke Ingolia