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Ramblings of a retiree in France
The Musette: Chilled cucumber soup
Beautifully refreshing, my easy cucumber soup recipe is the perfect starter for a (late) summer lunch or dinner party, as everything can be prepared ahead of serving. With no cream or stock added, the intensity of the cucumber is the star of the dish, enhanced by fragrant herbs and a salty kick from the frozen (vegan) feta sprinkled over to garnish. It’s an impressive looking dish and there’s no need to let on to your guests how easy it is to make.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Soup:
- 2 1/2 English cucumbers, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch mint, chopped
- 1/2 bunch coriander (cilantro), chopped
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 3 dashes Tabasco
To serve:
- 100g (4 oz) vegan feta
- 1/2 cucumber, deseeded and diced
- 4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced
- extra virgin olive oil
- edible flowers
- coriander cress
Method
1. Begin by preparing the cucumber soup. Add the cucumbers, mint and coriander to a hi-speed blender and blitz until smooth and vibrant green in colour.
2. Add the sherry vinegar and Tabasco to taste and blend again – the soup should have quite a strong flavour and be slightly acidic, similar to a gazpacho.
3. Strain the soup and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or until ready to serve. Place the feta for the crumble in the freezer for at least an hour to chill and firm up.
4. To serve, mix together the diced cucumber and tomato and divide between bowls, pouring over the chilled cucumber soup. Remove the feta from the freezer and coarsely grate over the soup to form a crumb, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil, coriander cress and edible flowers to garnish. It’ll look pretty as a picture and impress the hell out of your guests!
If you don’t like coriander, feel free to substitute with either dill or flat leaf parsley.
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That looks amazing!!! I even have the right dishes!!! Perfect for one last bash in the garden before autumn takes hold…
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Absolutely Marie
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I can see already how fantastic this starter/soup is! Beautiful presentation! Thank you!
Joanna
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You’re very welcome Joanna
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Looks too pretty to eat!
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Nothing is ever too pretty to eat!
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Love everything about this, except the coriander. Yes, I’m one of those! But Italian parsley is often a good substitute.
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I absolutely agree! Great substitute
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Looks refreshing and delicious! Thank you for sharing.
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My pleasure
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looks too pretty to eat!
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😎
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What a beautiful presentation, you are an artist! What a delicious looking soup Sheree!
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It’s such a simple soup, I like to dress it so that it look’s special
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Great dinner idea, as it’s still in the upper 90s here!
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Lovely
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