Community Cucumber Soup
Community cucumbers! Thanks neighbor!
The story starts with a morning run last week right by a neighborly box of cucumbers set out for anyone to take. I was about a third of the way into my three mile run, and was delighted to stop for a minute to select a few good cucumbers. Not having a garden this year has been hard as both Mike and I love the late summer when so many vegetables are ready to harvest including the ever refreshing cucumber.
While Mike appreciates using the cucumber in the traditional manner on a salad, I absolutely love the cucumber and the many ways you can use a cucumber. We have had good luck in growing them; one year we had over thirty and were giving them away to many neighbors. I am also in love with making soups. So during the summer when we had SO MANY cucumbers to harvest, I thought there must be a soup I can make with these ever-so-plentiful cukes and their refreshing deliciousness. As I often do when I’m on the hunt for new recipes, I surfed on my phone for just the right one, reading the various comments about the different recipes that popped up. As I wasn’t sure what I would find for cucumber soup, I was pleasantly surprised when I found a number of recipes that looked tasty. After studying several of them, I realized I wanted something you could enjoy hot or cold. In the summer, a cold soup can be the perfect meal on a hot day.
I believe I tried a couple different recipes that summer with all the cukes I had falling off the vine every few days. And I landed on this one that I enjoyed the most which has a bit of kick to it. If you are not a fan of kick, you can always dial-down the spiciness or leave it out entirely.
So back to my run a week ago…. As I was carrying my cucumbers for the rest of my jog — two in each hand — I did get some funny stares. One man from the village utility department, who was out fixing something, said: “Do you make a regular habit of running with cucumbers? You seem to have the hang of it.” To which I replied: “Well sure, don’t you? It’s a great way to strengthen your arms while running.” We chuckled. Mike thought it was pretty funny too when I reached the driveway of our rental home after my run with arms full of cukes.
Today’s running prize…
What I appreciated the most about finding these cucumbers is this gesture of neighborliness. We are all huddling in our homes quarantining. Or when we do go out, we cross to the other side of the street so as to prevent any risk of spreading this crazy virus. But here in this simple gesture of offering the garden’s surplus cucumbers, I felt the warmth of my community’s neighborliness.
I also reflected on how cucumbers are total community veggies. It is typical on a street where many people garden to have folks share cucumbers. I suppose tomatoes are the other common veggie people grow and share. And what do you know — later that day my dear neighbor and friend Julie dropped off some delicious tomatoes and a small cucumber. So that was the sign it was time to make my cucumber soup with the cukes from one Arlington Heights neighbor I don’t know, and the cutest little cucumber from a neighbor I know well. I realized then that I had the perfect name for this soupy creation: Community Cucumber Soup!
As I had so many cucumbers, I decided to make a batch and a half of the soup. I thoroughly enjoyed it for lunch - one day hot and one day cold - and then froze the rest. I have had good luck with freezing various soups and stews making lunch easy at a later date.
Community Cucumber Soup
Thanks to Eating Well for the core recipe!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (I tend to use 3-4 cloves)
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I tend to use more than this)
4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers, divided
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth (I make it with whichever broth I have available)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper (I often use two generous pinches as I like the kick)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish (I typically include 1/2-3/4 cup as I love fresh herbs in a soup)
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
Ingredients at the ready! Oops forgot the garlic in this picture…
Instructions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 3/4 cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup cucumber slices.
Serve the soup warm or refrigerate and serve it chilled.
Just before serving, garnish with the chopped cucumber and more chopped parsley, if desired.
Seeding cukes
Dicing onion
Garlic to be pressed
Avocado chopped
Parsley chopped
Ingredients ready for the soup foundation
Olive oil, onion, garlic sautee, soften and become fragrant
Lemon juice in
Cucumbers in
Broth, pepper and cayenne pepper in - I like extra cayenne for the extra refreshing kick!
About to simmer
Soup foundation, parsley and avocado ready to be processed
Yogurt in
Green goodness
Garnished and ready to eat
Anyone for lunch?
Thanks to the Arlington Heights neighbor I don’t know and to my neighbor Julie I know well for this delicious Community Cucumber Soup.
Of course every story needs a fitting conclusion. And gestures of community inspire more gestures of community.
Right before publishing this post, I dropped off a bag of our Happy Boolo Nut Mix to the neighbor who offered their box of cukes to say “Thanks for being a neighbor! Thanks for the delicious cucumbers from your garden!”
Love how Arlington Heights is truly a City of Good Neighbors!
