Asian Style Cucumber Soup Recipes

SIMPLE CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter with the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in the butter mixture until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cucumber and zucchini slices; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour vegetable broth over the mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a few minutes.
• Pour soup into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid in place with a towel; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth.

ASIAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers, then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Slice cucumbers as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a bowl with soy sauce, vinegar, chili and sugar, then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
• Add stock, scallions, watercress or arugula if you like, and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, garnish with herb or herbs of your choice.

CHINESE CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Place the broth in a soup pot and bring it to a boil. Add the cucumbers, mushrooms, scallions, salt , and pepper.
• Cover the soup pot and cook gently over low-medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Blend the soup in a blender. Add the extra seasonings-sesame oil, vinegar and ginger- and blend well.
• Refrigerate the soup for a few hours and serve cold. Or reheat the soup and serve it hot as the Chinese do.

CUCUMBER SOUP WITH SOY AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers, then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Slice cucumbers as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a large bowl with soy sauce, vinegar, chile and sugar, then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
• Add stock, scallions, watercress or arugula if you like, and stir. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, garnish with herb or herbs of your choice.

CUCUMBER SOUP WITH SOY AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers, then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Slice cucumbers as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a large bowl with soy sauce, vinegar, chile and sugar, then refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
• Add stock, scallions, watercress or arugula if you like, and stir. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Just before serving, garnish with herb or herbs of your choice.

ZESTY THAI CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a soup pot over medium heat; cook and stir cucumbers until softened, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir green onions with cucumbers until green onions are softened, about 5 more minutes. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Stir in sugar and bring soup to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low, cover soup, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

ASIAN-STYLE CUCUMBER SOUP

Steps:

• If the stock is not cold, throw it in the freezer while you prepare the cucumbers. Peel them, then cut them in half the long way; use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Slice them as thinly as possible (a mandoline is ideal for this). Mix them in a bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar, chile, and sugar and let sit, refrigerated, for about 20 minutes.
• Add the stock, scallion, and watercress or arugula if you like and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill or serve. Just before serving, garnish with the herb(s).
• Variation
• Cucumber-Coconut Soup: Substitute 2 cups coconut milk and 1 cup water for the stock and, if you have it, nam pla (fish sauce) for the soy sauce. You can turn this simple soup into a hot weather main course by topping it with some precooked shrimp (simply grilled would be my first choice) just before serving.