CHILLY DILLY CUCUMBER SOUP*****

By Marinel

Very tasty cold soup. Make this when you have an abundance of cukes in the garden.

Ingredients

• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled waxy, thin skinned potatoes (such as red or Yukon Gold, not russets)
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower or 1/2 cup additional chopped potatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 large handful whole fresh dill sprigs (including stems), plus 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill leaves, plus small sprigs for garnish
• 1 handful whole fresh chives, plus 1/4 cup coarsely chopped chives, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/4 cups finely diced seeded and peeled cucumber, plus thin half moon slices for garnish
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine broth, potatoes, cauliflower (or additional potato) in a large saucepan. Lay the whole dill and chives on top. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Adjust the heat so it boils briskly and cook until the vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside until slightly cooled.

2. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup each chopped dill and chives with yogurt in a food processor. Process until the herbs are finely chopped and the mixture is slightly green. Transfer half the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate to use later as a garnish. Leave the remainder in the processor.

3. Using a fork, lift off and discard the herbs from the pan. Transfer the vegetables to the processor with a slotted spoon (leave the broth in the pan). Add butter; process until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

4. Add diced cucumber to the broth. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until the cucumber is just cooked through but still slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Thoroughly stir the pureed vegetables into the cucumber mixture. Season with pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days

5. Serve the soup with a dollop of the reserved herbed yogurt. Garnish with small sprigs of dill, chopped chives and or half-slices of cucumber, if desired.