Chilled Cucumber Soup with Grilled Croutons
This is a creamy and refreshing soup with a hint of zesty flavor and the extra crunch of grilled Sourdough croutons.
| 5 | large cucumbers |
| 1/2 | cup fresh parsley, chopped |
| 6 | scallions, chopped |
| 2 | tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish |
| 1/4 | cup fresh lemon juice |
| 1 | quart buttermilk |
| 1 | pint plain, low-fat yogurt |
| salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste | |
| 2-4 | radishes, sliced (with skin) |
| extra-virgin olive oil | |
| 3 | slices Panera Sourdough bread, cut 3/4" thick |
| 1 | garlic clove, halved |
For the soup, peel cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds using the bowl of a spoon. Sprinkle cucumbers with salt and let stand 30 minutes. Drain excess water and coarsely chop the cucumbers. Place the chopped cucumbers in a blender with the scallions, fresh dill, fresh lemon juice, buttermilk and yogurt. Blend at high speed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until cold, then cover. (Can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled.)
For croutons, prepare basic grilled bread using Panera Bread Sourdough. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Rub garlic clove halves over bread slices, then cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Saute in heated olive oil until golden brown.
Divide cold soup among bowls. Garnish with 3-4 radish slices and a pinch of fresh, chopped dill. Serve with grilled garlic croutons on the side.
makes 6 - 8 servings