Asian Style Cucumber Soup Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.