Chilled cucumber and lovage soup
This cucumber soup recipe is one of the most refreshing things you can eat on a hot day, and requires nothing more than blending the ingredients together. Similar to gazpacho, it should be ice cold when it's served.
- Total:
Ingredients
- 3long cucumbers, peeled
- 3tbsp of crème fraîche
- 350ml of natural yoghurt
- ½lemon, juiced
- 75ml of olive oil, good-quality
- 3sprigs of fresh lovage, leaves picked
- salt
- pepper
- hard-boiled eggs, chopped, to garnish
Instructions
Step 1
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Discard the seeds. Roughly chop into chunks and place in a blenderStep 2
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the eggs, if using) to the blender and season with salt and pepper. Start initially with 12 lovage leavesStep 3
Blend until completely smooth – the soup should have a pleasing, pale green colour. Taste. Is there a good balance of acidity and mellowness from the yoghurt? Add more lemon if it seems too creamy-tasting. Can you taste the lovage enough? It should be defined but not overpowering. Add the lovage leaves cautiously, a little at a time so as not to overpower the delicate cucumber flavourStep 4
Once you’re happy you’ve achieved a balanced flavour, place the soup in the fridge for at least 2 hours so that it is well-chilled before serving. Sprinkle with chopped hard-boiled egg to garnish, if desired