Chilled Cucumber Soup with Avocado and Dill

A refreshing soup for a summer evening

This vibrant chilled cucumber soup requires no cooking and is delicious topped with homemade croutons, chopped tomatoes and fresh dill.

KRISTI BISSELL
Taste of Norway Editor
The Norwegian American

Too hot to cook? Give this delicious chilled soup a try!

Refreshing cucumber, vibrant peppers, fragrant dill and creamy avocado come together in this vegetarian no-cook soup. A delicious, cooling elixir for hot days!

The preparation itself couldn’t be simpler…a brief stint in the blender followed by a few hours in the fridge. Done. When you are ready to serve, a few simple garnishes really elevate this soup from good to great: tomatoes, sautéed bread cubes and a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil. Perfect for those sultry summer days!

The story behind this recipe

I studied in southern Spain during college, and on those unbearably hot days in August and early September my house mother would prepare a big bowl of gazpacho to keep in the fridge. Every meal began with a small bowl of this cooling, delicious elixir.

I wanted to come up with something with the same sense of refreshing ease and seasonality with ingredients common to the Nordic region.

About the ingredients

• Cucumbers, yellow and jalapeño peppers, fresh dill, garlic and an avocado form the creamy vegetable base of this fresh summertime soup. Regular garden cucumbers or English (sometimes called seedless) cucumbers will work just fine in this recipe.

• Skyr (Icelandic yogurt) provides a bit of tangy creaminess (feel free to substitute Greek yogurt if you like).

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice brings just the right amount of acidity and brightness to the final product.

• This soup would not be complete without these toppings: Homemade rustic croutons for crunch, chopped fresh tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil for added freshness, texture and flavor.

Chilled Cucumber Soup
with Avocado and Dill

EQUIPMENT: High-powered blender (see note below)

INGREDIENTS

For the soup:
1½ pounds cucumbers, coarsely chopped
1 yellow pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
1 large avocado, peeled and pit removed and coarsely chopped
¼ cup skyr or greek yogurt, preferably full-fat
2 tbsps. lemon juice (more to taste)
1½ teaspoons coarse salt (more to taste)

For the croutons:
2 cups of ½-inch bread cubes
(I like sourdough or a rustic country loaf)
2 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For serving:
Extra-virgin olive oil, Chopped fresh tomato, Croutons

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the soup:
1. Place half of the chopped cucumber in the blender. Blend until it is completely liquid.
2. Add the remaining cucumber, peppers, garlic, and dill and puree until completely smooth.
3. Add avocado and skyr and blend again.
4. Add 2 tbsps. lemon juice and 2 tsps. coarse salt. Blend one last time. Transfer to a bowl and adjust seasonings as necessary (you may want a little more lemon juice and/or salt).
5. Cover and chill at least 2-3 hours or until ready to serve.

Make the croutons:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bread cubes. Sauté until crisp and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and season with coarse salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Ladle the chilled soup into individual bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh tomato and croutons. Serve immediately.

NOTES

·  It really helps to have a high-powered blender. They can be quite expensive but are one of the best kitchen investments you can make, in my opinion. If your blender is just so-so and the soup is not as smooth as you would like, you can always run it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining bits of unprocessed vegetable.

· After the soup chills in the refrigerator, give it a good stir before serving. The soup will separate slightly during the cooling process.

Photos by Kristi Bissell

Adapted from Lagom: The Swedish Art of Eating Harmoniously by Steffi Knowles-Dellner and Love Soup by Anna Thomas

This article originally appeared in the July 8, 2022, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.