a few days ago, i was gifted a few things from the little garden. a large cucumber, and plenty of mint…
it was a scorcher of a day. i gathered up my ingredients…
i modified a family recipe slightly.
how i made a cool cucumber soup:
- grated the cucumber, skin, seeds and all (a source of fibre and vitamin a)
- took fresh mint leaves off the stalk and chop them; i used kitchen shears while holding them in a bundle. if i didn’t have fresh herbs, i’d use about a tablespoon dried, but the fresh stuff really has more of a “cooling” effect which is what i was after…
- combined the sour cream, yogurt and vinegar (lemon juice works too), and to it added the shredded cucumber and mint and mixed everything.
- added a bit of salt and pepper.
- served it in bowls i had cooling in the freezer…
makes about 4 bowls. yup, you eat it like a soup.
a few notes:
- you can add ice cubes to cool things further.
- you can take this basic recipe, add a clove or 7 of garlic (no such thing as too much garlic), add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and you have a simple, creamy salad dressing.
- you can add a bit of water and ice cubes to create a thinner consistency and serve it in glasses as a drink. this drink is popular in the middle east, where they know a thing or two about staying cool in the heat.
- menthol oil found in mint has cooling properties. “cool as a cucumber” is an idiom (and also uses alliteration — my grade 8 english teacher would be so proud!), but cucumbers are able to maintain an internal temperature that is cooler than the air surrounding it. now you know…
