Cream of Cucumber Soup

I needed a nice chilled soup to serve alongside a meal, and since we had several cucumbers, I began googling and comparing soups until this one truly interested me.

Just the idea of blending romaine with cucumbers then adding avocado! How much fresher and refreshing could a chilled soup become? Besides, the theme of the rather Italian meal was avocado, so this fit in perfectly.

This was served alongside Herbal Cheese Rolls before the main dish was brought in, and the gently cool texture really stimulated the appetite in such a soothing way.
I found it really made conversation more comfortable, definitely something to keep a note on for posterity!


CREAM OF CUCUMBER SOUP

4 romaine lettuce leaves, chopped (about 1.5 cups) (I use tightly packed cups)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup water
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t crushed garlic (1 clove)
1/4 t salt
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T minced fresh herbs, or 1 t dried (I use parsley)

Place the lettuce, cucumber, water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a blender and process until smooth. Add the avocado and EVOO and blend again until smooth. Add the herbs and blend briefly to mix. Serve immediately. For a chilled soup, refrigerate for 2 hours before servings.

My note: I doubled the recipe of course, and also added a little more lemon juice.
My mother tossed in some fresh basil and it really worked! Since the food culture of the evening was Italian, the basil only embellished the theme.

Garnishing idea: We sprinkled the top with chopped chives and a miniscule drip of whipping cream.