Chilled Cucumber Mint Soup w Hot Chili Oil
Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – Ashley Covelli
Serves 6
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, halved and sliced (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 7 cups)
2 cups vegetable stock
16 ounces nonfat Greek Yogurt
Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon of the juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh mint, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, roughly chopped
Hot chili oil, for garnish
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over moderate heat. Add shallot, garlic, green onions, salt and pepper and sauté until fragrant. Remove from heat to cool
In a large blender, place cooled shallot mixture along with cucumber, vegetable stock, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, mint and dill. Blend until smooth. (You may need to do this in batches in a smaller blender – it fit just right in my Vitamix). Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Pour soup into a large container. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
To serve, spoon soup into 6 bowls and top each with a few drops of hot chili oil. Garnish with additional herbs and sliced cucumber, if desired.
