Whenever it gets over 30°C I start to melt, Wicked Witch style (capital letters fully intended). All I seem to crave is light salads, buckets of iced water and green vegetables. Enter stage left this cucumber and pea soup recipe.
The other 36°C (that’s almost 100°F!) day I had a fridge/cupboard rummage and it was like a light bulb went off (not just the fridge light, I mean.) I adore cucumbers – often just slicing them up as a snack, and peas are definitely at the top of my vegetable top 5 (hello sugarsnap/mangetout!) so I decided to combine the two in a twist on a summer gazpacho.
Whilst researching this post, I discovered that cucumber soup is a traditional Polish and Lithuanian dish. It is made from sour salted cucumbers and potato, where rice is occasionally substituted for the potatoes. A similar soup is also common in Russia and Ukraine, where it is known as rassolnik.
Oh, and this recipe requires the absolute minimum of effort – just chop, whizz and chill for an hour before you eat. Just what you need when the temperature is arching.
Cucumber and Pea Soup
Serves 4
2 cucumbers
4 cups shucked peas (I just thaw good frozen peas)
400ml coconut cream/evaporated cream/sour cream/natural greek yoghurt
Juice of 1 lime
A small bunch of fresh mint (I only had dried which worked well) or coriander
Salt & Pepper to taste
Optional: You favourite seafood – pictured: eel or almond slices
- Roughly chop 1/2 the cucumber then add along with peas, coconut cream and fresh mint to your blender.
- Blend until smooth (directions perfect for a hot summer day, I feel).
- Finely dice or julienne the rest of the cucumber (set aside a few slices for garnishing) and add to the soup.
- Slip it in the fridge for an hour or so.
- Serve flourished with cucumber slices, a swirl of coconut cream and a few leaves of fresh mint/coriander.
Just add good company, a picnic blanket and a bottle of freshly chilled rosé.
This cucumber and pea soup makes for a deliciously light summer lunch – and it’s so easily scalable. Click here for more summer lunch recipes that will tantilise your tastebuds…
What’s your favourite summer dish?
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