Creamy Cucumber Soup

This is my first write-up on one of my cooking “adventures”.

I promise you that it would be easy and manageable. Cause if I can, you can too =)

So the other day, I forgot I had some cucumber left in the fridge and bought even more.

I didn’t know what to do with the abundance of cucumber, other than stir-frying or eating them raw. That’s when the idea of making a soup came to me.

Cooking time: roughly 30 mins (which I did simultaneously cook another veggie dish)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers (which is about 4 normal sized cucumbers)

1 ½ cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 avocado, diced

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish (optional)

Some of you may know that I have trouble cutting onions without crying. So someone suggested that I could bite on a piece of bread while chopping them. I did try it, and it worked quite a bit, perhaps some of you could try that too.

I’d also suggest to use a peeler for the cucumber, instead of manually peeling it with a knife. It would save you so much time.

So the steps are as follows:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (1 to 4 minutes)

3. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add 3 ¾ cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer.

5. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft (6 to 8 minutes)

4. Transfer the soup to a blender/processor.

5. Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth.

6. Pour into a serving bowl. 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.

If you personally prefer your soup to be less spicy (from the pepper),  you could choose not to add in the Cayenne and pepper.

I also cooked up another dish at about the same time, when I was waiting for it to simmer and blend. An easy Stir-fried Bak Choy with Chicken & Fish slices. I am not a fan of stir-fried dishes, but my mum prefers them to salads. You know how old people can’t really change their preference for food, especially if it’s to a healthier one.

So give it a try and let me know how it goes =)