Cucumber soup with pistou
6 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tablespoon | Olive oil |
| 1 | Leek (white part plus 1 inch of green) chopped | |
| 1 | Stalk celery with leaves, chopped | |
| 1 | pounds | Cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, and chopped |
| 2 | teaspoons | Lemon juice |
| 4 | cups | Chicken stock |
| Pistou: | ||
| 2 | Cloves garlic, finely minced | |
| ¼ | cup | Minced fresh basil |
| 4 | teaspoons | Finely chopped walnuts |
| 2 | teaspoons | Parmesan cheese |
| 4 | teaspoons | Olive oil |
| ½ | medium | Sized tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped |
Directions
To prepare the soup: In a medium-size saucepan, heat oil over low heat. Add leeks and celery and cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cucumbers, lemon juice and stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until cucumbers are tender. Cool slightly.
To prepare Pistou: With a mortar and pestle, mash together garlic, basil and walnuts to a paste. (you can also use a bowl with a wooden spoon). Work in a little cheese and oil and one-third of the tomato.
Keep adding cheese, oil and tomato. The mixture will not be a true emulsion but a barely fluid paste.
Transfer cucumber mixture to a food processor or blender and puree, in batches, until smooth. Ladle soup into serving bowl. Pass the pistou. Allow 1 tablespoon of pistou per serving to be placed in the center of the bowl, then swirl into soup.
Enjoy David....
**>>April<<**