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Monday 2 July 2018

Avocado and Cucumber Soup : Perfect for Warmer Days


This recipe for a delicious summer soup combines avocado, cucumber and green onion. I have to say that avocado's are one of my favourite foods and they are packed full of good nutrients, you can read more about that here.

If you'd like to make this soup here is what you'll need, serves four:

12 oz. (English) cucumber, peeled, cut into 4 pieces
2 Fresh California / Hass Avocados, peeled, seeded, quartered*
1 oz. green onion, cut into large pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp. cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish
4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt, plus extra for garnish
1 cup cold water or cold vegetable stock
1 cup ice cubes

( If you should need help with measurement equivalents look here )

This is how to make it:
Puree (use a blender) all ingredients until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish each serving with a swirl of yogurt and cilantro.
Serve.

* Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.

Did you know ... Cilantro is a herb with wide delicate lacy green leaves and a pungent flavour. The seed of the cilantro plant is known as coriander. Although cilantro and coriander come from the same plant, their flavours are very different and cannot be substituted for each other. (Some countries refer to the cilantro as coriander, so any references to "fresh coriander" or "coriander leaves" refer to cilantro.) It can be easily confused with flat-leaf parsley in appearance, so be sure to sniff carefully. Look for a bunch with un-wilted leaves in medium green. Found fresh year round in most markets.

More information about Cilantro here

We bring a variety of recipe ideas to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan

25 comments:

Tom said...

...I've never been a fan of cold soups.

Sara - Villa Emilia said...

Avocado, cucumber and green onion... this recipe is absolutely brilliant! <3

eileeninmd said...

Hello, I have never tried cold soup. I do love avocado but not a fan of cucumber.
Enjoy your day and new week ahead. Happy July!

Catarina said...

The only cold soup I eat is called “gaspacho” – gazpacho in Spanish – which is a tomato, cucumber and bread soup. Very appreciated in Portugal and Spain.
I will try this one in the next few days. It has been very hot here.

Iris Flavia said...

That sounds refreshing! I´ve never seen Cilantro over here, though! What might be an alternative?

Pom Pom said...

This looks like a very good dish! Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Perfect for summer.

Tina

NatureFootstep said...

seem I have to try this one :)

Snowbird said...

How yummy!xxx

Chris Lally said...

Perfect for a hot day!

Out on the prairie said...

I like the flavors in this, I make a cuke one with yogurt

Lowcarb team member said...

Iris Flavia said:
"That sounds refreshing! I´ve never seen Cilantro over here, though! What might be an alternative?"

Hello Iris, and thanks for your comment and question.

Here are five Substitutes for Cilantro, hope the suggestions may help.

Cilantro, also known as Chinese parsley, Mexican parsley, pak chee, koyendoro, culantrillo, green coriander or coriander leaf, is used throughout the world as a green vegetable and as a seasoning. Cilantro is used to season salsas, stir-fries, curries, soups, stews, meats and salad dressings. The stems, leaves and roots are most commonly used, while the plant's seeds-- caleld coriander-- are also used as seasonings.
If you are interested in cooking a dish that calls for cilantro, you may need to use a cilantro substitute. The following 5 cilantro substitutes can be used in most recipes that call for the herb.

Italian Parsley
Cilantro and parsley are only distantly related, but they are slightly similar in taste and appearance. Consider using classic Italian parsley, curly-leaf parsley or flat-leaf parsley as a cilantro substitute in your favorite recipes. If you'd like, you can add a bit of lemon juice and some ground coriander to make the flavor resemble cilantro.

Mint Leaf
Use mint leaves as a cilantro substitute if you don't have access to cilantro or parsley. Use half of the amount of spearmint that you would use if you were cooking with cilantro. A small amount of balsamic vinegar can curb the chilly flavor of the mint leaves, making the cilantro substitute more viable.

Papalo
The Mexican herb papalo, also known as papaloquelite, is very similar in taste and fragrance to cilantro. However, it is more pungent and has a much stronger odor. Use 2/3s of the amount of papalo that you would use in a recipe calling for cilantro, or use equivalent amounts if you want your food to have a stronger flavour.

Basil
Basil leaf is somewhat similar to cilantro; both herbs have a slightly sweet and exotic flavor. Like cilantro, basil is strongest when used raw and loses its flavour quickly during cooking. Substitute cilantro for basil in Mediterranean recipes for an interesting flair, or use basil in lieu of cilantro if you dislike cilantro leaf's alkaline flavour.

Celery Leaf
Although celery leaves aren't ofen used as seasonings, they can act in place of cilantro in many recipes. Because of their mild flavor and cilanto-like texture, celery leaves lend a very similar flavor to salsas and stir-fries. Simply purchase celery stalks and use the leaves as cilantro substitutes, instead of throwing them in the trash bin or compost.

kitchenthesaurus.blogspot.com/2014/07/5-substitutes-for-cilantro.html

All the best Jan

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Sounds yummy in summer --and SO healthy... We don't eat much cold soup --but this one, I'll try!!!!!

Thanks for sharing.
Hugs,
Betsy

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

mmmmmm

I'll slurp that smoothy

Christine said...

looks so cooling and delicious!

Elephant's Child said...

Love avocado. Not a fan of cucumber.

Martha said...

Looks so refreshing! Perfect for this heatwave period we're going through.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Sounds delicious! Still, as I am one of those people who cannot taste anything good in cilantro (through I love ground coriander seed) I will always use parsley as a substitute.

Teresa said...

Interesante sopa. El aguacate me gusta mucho, pero el cilantro no. Besitos.

sandy said...

I have never had avocado soup but it looks so cool and refreshing.

Sandra Cox said...

This sounds and looks luscious.

William Kendall said...

I don't think I've ever had avocado.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I have never been much of a fan of cold soups, but this one seems like it’s worth a try. And I have both cucumbers and avocados in the house so maybe tomorrow’s the day!

Phil Slade said...

This is tonight's starter. With hot crusty bread though. Sorry Eddie.

Magic Love Crow said...

Yes please! Thank you Jan!