Chilled Cream of Cucumber Soup
"We grow lots of cukes in North Carolina, and plenty are available from friends if you don't happen to have a garden," writes Doris Heath of Franklin, North Carolina. "This is a good make-ahead summer soup that is so cool and refreshing. If people like cucumbers, they will enjoy this-even those who say they don't care for cold soup."8 ServingsPrep: 10 min. Cook: 20 min. + chilling
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds cucumbers, peeled
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup minced fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dill weed
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup quick-cooking farina
- 1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream, divided
Directions
- In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Slice 1/3
- cup cucumbers; refrigerate. Chop the remaining cucumbers and add to
- onion mixture. Add the broth, dill, vinegar and salt; bring to a
- boil. Gradually add farina, stirring constantly. Reduce heat;
- simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool
- slightly.
- In a blender, process soup in batches until pureed. Pour into a
- container; refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, whisk in
- 1/2 cup sour cream. Garnish each serving with reserved cucumber
- slices and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2 quarts).
Nutrition Facts: One serving (1 cup) equals 116 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 707 mg sodium,