Category Archives: Soups

refreshing chilled cucumber and dill soup

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cucumber and dill soup

cucumber and dill soup

A cold soup is the perfect appetizer for a summer BBQ and this one is particularly refreshing, as the crushed caraway seeds and the dill give it that special zing.  Since this is the beginning of the growing season, it’s a perfect time to use the locally grown garden cucumbers instead of the all-year-around English cucumbers which have little flavour in comparison to the garden cucumber.   If you can’t find the local garden cucumber you can of course use the English cucumbers.

This easy recipe is adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe.  The only special equipment you will need for this recipe is a blender to purée all of the ingredients.

This refreshing chilled soup can be prepared in advance up to 12 hours before you serve it, which makes for an easy appetizer to serve when entertaining a group of friends for a BBQ.

ingredients

  • 4 garden cucumbers peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt (low-fat)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 3 green onions, both light green and darker green tops, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped and a few sprigs for garnish
  • 1 small garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 3/4 cup vegetable stock or broth
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin oil

Serves 6

cucumber and dill soup

cucumber and dill soup

  1. After peeling, halving lengthwise and taking it out the seeds of 3 cucumbers, chop the cucumber halves coarsely.
  2. Transfer the cucumber halves into a large bowl and combine with the yogurt, lemon juice, green onions, dill, garlic, caraway seeds, salt and white pepper.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside a room temperature for about an hour.
  3. In the meantime you can peel, half and seed the 4th cucumber and then dice this last remaining cucumber into small ½ inch cubes.  Set aside until ready to serve.
  4. Once the flavours of the cucumber and the other ingredients have combined you can pour into a blender and purée until smooth.  Then slowly add the vegetable stock and continue to purée until it is fully blended, for about 30 seconds.
  5. Transfer soup into a pitcher and cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for about 2 hours.  You can actually make this soup about 12 hours in advance as it can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until your are ready to serve it.
  6. When ready to serve the soup, mix in the olive oil into the soup and serve in small bowls or as we did in verrines.  Then just add cubed cucumber to each bowl, top with a sprig of dill and serve immediately.

how bacon makes a celery root soup even better!

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celery root and leek soup topped with celery, apples and bacon

celery root and leek soup topped with celery, apples and bacon

Yes, more celery root, but this time it is for a soup!   It is winter after all, and we’re looking to leverage what’s available seasonally.   Celery root and leeks are great combination for a soup and this one is earthy and silky, however on it’s own it can be a little too subtle to the palate.  So we bring it to another level, by adding texture and extra flavours by garnishing the soup with finely chopped celery, celery leaves, green apple and the “piece de resistance”, the lardons (bacon pieces cut down to 1/4 inch cubes).

This results in a sophisticated appetizer, which can easily be prepared in advance and served for your next dinner party.

Serves 6

celery root and leek soup topped with celery, apples and bacon

ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 3 leeks, washed, halved, white and green pale green parts and chopped coarsely
  • 1 medium onion, chopped coarsely
  • 2 medium celery root (sometimes referred to as celeriac), peeled with a knife and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 cups chicken broth (reduced-sodium)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¼ cup of 15% cream
  • ¼ cup of additional water if required

garnish:

  • ¼ cup lardons (3 slices of bacon cut into 1/4 inch cubes)
  • 1 green apple (Granny Smith)
  • 1 celery rib, sliced very thinly
  • ¼ cup of inner celery leaves
celery root and leek soup topped with celery, apples and bacon

celery root and leek soup topped with celery, apples and bacon

  1. Add butter and olive oil to a large 4 quart pot over the stove.  Add chopped leeks , celery root and onion and sweat in covered pot over simmering heat until leeks and onions are softened, for about 20 minutes.  Do not brown leeks or onions, add more butter if they start to brown.
  2. Add water, chicken broth, 1 tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of black pepper and bring to a boil uncovered, then reduce heat and simmer, until celery root is very tender for another 20 minutes.
  3. Carefully pour soup into a blender and purée until smooth.  Clean pot and return soup to pot.
  4. Bring soup pot back to stove and simmer on low heat.  Add cream and heat until warm, stirring occasionally.   You may add more water, about 1/4 cup, if you find the soup’s consistency to be too thick for your taste.
    Note that if you wish to serve the soup the following day, just cool soup and refrigerate without adding cream.  When ready to serve simply add cream and reheat soup.
  5. While soup is heating through with cream, cook bacon into a large saucepan over medium heat, turning frequently until crispy for about 8 minutes.  Transfer bacon to paper towels.
  6. Meanwhile thinly slice apples lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick slices working around core.  Then cut each slice into small matchsticks.
  7. Thinly chop celery and celery leaves and set aside.
  8. When ready to serve divide soup into bowls and garnish soup with apple matchsticks, celery slices, celery leaves and lardons.

Enjoy!