
The Summer Fest party continues this week and the guest of honor is the cucumber. When I started thinking about what recipe to share today that would highlight one of my favorite summer vegetables, I came up blank. I don’t usually cook with cucumbers… I just love to eat them! I love them so much, I almost always have cucumbers in the fridge. I add them to green salads, summer salads, and a couple times a month they get sliced, doused in vinegar, and become a salad on their own. I also love slicing them into sticks for an afternoon snack. But you guys don’t need a recipe to do any of those things (although I have shared a quick cucumber salad recipe in the past).
So, I started thinking about popular cucumber recipes I’ve never tried before and decided I would make a cold cucumber soup for dinner and share the results with you. Lots of recipes I’ve seen for cucumber soup include yogurt, but since I’ve been on a huge kefir kick lately, I decided to use that instead. I’ve actually been culturing my own kefir for a few weeks now and drinking it in a smoothie every morning. It’s delicious and I’ve been feeling great! I’ll be writing all about kefir soon and will share photos of the kefir-culturing process. If you are unfamiliar with kefir and/or can’t find it at your local store (it should be located in the dairy section near the yogurts), you can certainly substitute an equal amount of plain yogurt in this soup.
The rest of the soup ingredients came together based on my own tastes and the ingredients I had on hand and I love the way it turned out. It’s cool and creamy, with just a hint of spice from the chile. I highly recommend stirring in a handful of chopped tomatoes at the end – the tomatoes add just the right amount of sweetness.
I used my high-powered Blendtec blender to make the soup, so mine turned out perfectly smooth. Your blender might give different results, but the soup can always be strained if necessary. As always, I encourage you adjust ingredient amounts and seasonings to suit your own taste.
Enjoy!
Creamy Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup
makes 4 servings.
2 large cucumbers, about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 medium avocado, chopped
2 or 3 green onions, chopped
1 serrano chile, chopped
1 1/2 cups plain whole milk kefir or yogurt (not Greek-style)
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
salt, to taste
Garnish:
chopped tomatoes
chopped avocado
crumbled Cotija cheese (can substitute feta)
chopped cilantro
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator. To serve, garnish soup with chopped tomato, avocado, cilantro, and crumbled Cotija cheese.
Recipe notes: This soup tastes just as great the next day, so it’s definitely something that can be made ahead. I think this would be great served in shot glasses at a party. If you aren’t serving the soup with chopped tomatoes, I would add a tiny amount of sugar, honey, or agave nectar to the blender mixture (maybe 1/2 – 1 teaspoon) to help balance the flavors.
Related Recipes:
- Sweet and Spicy Cucumber Salad with Fresh Dill
- Tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt dip)
- Chilled Ginger Cantaloupe Soup
- Edamame and Pea Soup with Herbed Lemon Cream
- Creamy Fennel and Leek Soup
More Cucumber Soup Recipes around the Web:
- Cold Cucumber and Avocado Cream Soup from Not Just About Cooking
- Cucumber Avocado Soup from Cooking with Amy
- Chilled Cucumber Soup from Alice Q. Foodie
Cucumber Recipes from my Summer Fest Friends:
- What’s Gaby Cooking: Cucumber-Basil Gimlet
- In Jennie’s Kitchen: Radish-Cucumber Crostini
- Big Girl Small Kitchen: Spicy Cucumber Salad with Shallot, Ginger and Mint
- Grecian Kitchen: Summer Cucumber Salad
- And Love It Too: Cucumber, Mint and Watermelon Salad
- Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumbers Coolers with Agave Simple Syrup
- Cooking With My Kid: Cucumber Limeade
- FN Dish: Summer Fest: Cucumber Recipes
- CIA Dropout: Relishing Cucumbers
- Healthy Eats: Cool Cucumber Soup
- Food for 7 Stages of Life: Cucumber Cherry Salsa
- Cooking With Elise: Green Tea Cucumber Pops
- Glory Foods: Cucumber and Shrimp Boat
- Virtually Vegan Mama: Fire-Roasted Tomato and Cucumber Gazpacho
- Food2: When Life Gives You Cucumbers, Make a Cucumber Cocktail
- Cooking Channel: Cucumbers Stuffed with Crab-Mango Salad
- Recipe Girl: Bread and Butter Pickles
- Taste With the Eyes: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers with Wakame and Garlic Blossoms
- Virtually Homemade: Cold Thai Cucumber-Mint Soup
- Add a Pinch: Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
- The Cultural Dish: Ahi Tuna with Cucumber Sauce and Salad
- Daily*Dishin: Cool n’ Zesty Cukes: 7 Minute Summer in a Jar
- Daydreamer Desserts: Cubanita Margarita
- Purple Cook: Cucumber Gazpacho with Indian Flavored Shrimp Relish
- Indian Simmer: Cucumber at its Best with Chaat Masala
- Big Apple Nosh: Quick and Easy Homemade Pickles
- Sweet Life Bake: Agua de Pepino
- The Sensitive Epicure: Tzatziki with Grilled Gluten-Free Pitas and Fresh Cucumbers and Peppers
- Zaika Zabardast: Cucumber Gazpacho
- A Way to Garden: Cucumber-Growing Q&A and the Best Pickles
- Cooking with Books: Summer Fest: Cucumbers
How You Can Join in Summer Fest
Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? You can contribute to our online recipe swap in various ways, big or small.
Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.
Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Matt Bites).
To join the Summer Fest conversation on twitter, use the hash tag #cookingwith.
Summer Fest 2011 Posting Schedule
June 22: Eggplant – missed this one!
July 6: Peaches
July 20: Cucumbers
August 3: Cherries
August 17: Corn
August 13: Tomatoes
September 14: Broccoli






Can’t wait to hear about the kefir culturing!
This is really random, but I got to thinking… do you measure yogurt in a liquid measuing cup or dry measuring cup? I would measure kefir in the liquid cup, but would do yogurt in the dry cup… and I can’t imagine it would make a material different, but I’m curious and thought I’d ask.
I’m going to try this, with some homemade creme fraiche and soft cheese. Looks great!
8:49 am Jul 20th, 2011Christine: I think I usually measure yogurt in a dry cup – especially thick yogurt. If it’s pourable, I might use a liquid cup. But it really doesn’t make any difference, so I’ll just use whatever is clean and nearby
8:58 am Jul 20th, 2011Aloha Nicole! This looks delicious! We have hundreds of varieties of local avos and I am always looking for new ways to use them. We also have lots of local Japanese Cucumbers here~ another reason to try this recipe. And your photos in the morning light turned out great.
10:28 am Jul 20th, 2011Hello! I’d like to submit this one: Chicken with pickle sauce. It’s not my original recipe, but the credit belongs to The Food Network Magazine. We made it recently in Rome, Italy. I loved it, my husband loved it, our toddler ate a few bites. Ta da!
http://foodlets.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/chicken-with-pickle-sauce/
1:50 pm Jul 20th, 2011Such a delicious post. I made some avocado smoothie today with basils. Next time, when I find untouched ripen avocados in the kitchen, I know this will be my next recipe to try.
I would like to be a part of Summer fest. Is there any email to reach out?
3:18 pm Jul 20th, 2011THIS. LOOKS AMAZING annnnd, like something I could make!
4:06 pm Jul 20th, 2011cucumbers and avocados?!? one of my favorite combos ever!
4:41 pm Jul 20th, 2011What a great recipe, perfect for summer! Light and refreshing, yet satisfying.
11:11 pm Jul 20th, 2011Here’s my family’s recipe for sun pickles: http://crunchythriftycool.blogspot.com/2011/07/joining-in-cucumber-y-fun-sun-pickles.html
8:30 am Jul 21st, 2011oh yum! i have extra cucumbers from this week’s post prep…and a couple of avocados! sounds like your soup is on my menu tonight…thanks
1:14 pm Jul 21st, 2011diane
That photo is stunning, so perfect in it’s simplicity.
8:27 pm Jul 21st, 2011You’ve inspired me…absolutely gorgeous photo. I’ve had avocade smoothie made by my French friend, but without the cucumber. Cucumber sounds very refreshing. I must try your recipe this summer. Thanks for your great site!
6:03 am Jul 22nd, 2011You have made the soup looks so appetizing in the pic. And I definitely need this to beat the summer heat.
11:23 pm Jul 22nd, 2011I just found your site, and I am so excited to try so many of your recipes! You have a beautiful presentation. Thank you!
5:23 am Jul 23rd, 2011What a delicious sounding and beautiful soup for easy summer entertaining. I’m always looking for something that can be prepared well in advance. Thank you!
5:37 am Jul 23rd, 2011I have to admit that I have never combined cucumbers and avocados but this looks delicious!
Since I own a Blendtec I just might have to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
5:55 am Jul 23rd, 2011I’ve been culturing my own kefir for a while and have become a real kefir evangelist. It’s so healthy. I love this recipe and will definitely try it. That!
7:03 am Jul 23rd, 2011Just wanted to stop by and let you know that I have finally made my blogroll and you are on it! Check it out at http://savourthesensesblog.com =) Love your site!
2:13 pm Jul 23rd, 2011I needed this recipe earlier today when I was in the mood for a chilled soup! Sounds fabulous and I can’t wait to try it this week.
5:01 pm Jul 24th, 2011Thank you!
What a beautiful soup! I have heard a lot of kefir but still haven’t tried it! Time to change that
8:48 am Jul 25th, 2011This recipe looks great and refreshing. Definitely bookmarking this one! Thanks for sharing.
9:06 am Jul 25th, 2011This looks absolutely divine. Awesome for when the weather is hot.
5:25 am Jul 27th, 2011very refreshing…and outstanding photography!!!
6:29 am Jul 29th, 2011I love fresh and natural foods, thanks
7:06 pm Jul 29th, 2011Looks like a great summer recipe, I love the comination of cucumber and avocado. Thanks for sharing!
9:58 am Aug 5th, 2011Wow this recipe looks scrumptious! And I’ve never heard of kefir until now. I’m very intrigued. Definitely adding this to my to-do list. Thanks for sharing!
8:14 am Aug 6th, 2011I love this… Where does a fellow go grab a couple of those?, I’m going to recommend it to some of my friends . wow… thats very cool.
3:00 am Aug 8th, 2011Creamy Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup,sounds good.And photographs are wonderful.
3:15 am Aug 10th, 2011Chilled soups are great – this one is, too! Great recipe!
3:08 am Aug 13th, 2011I *love* chilled avocado soup. What a great flavor combination for a soup! Yum.
4:07 pm Aug 13th, 2011Wow, this is absolutely stunning!
3:03 pm Aug 15th, 2011this soup looks fabulous lovely way to have avocado
8:21 pm Aug 22nd, 2011Sounds like an amazing spice…where exactly in Fresno did you find it?
2:06 am Sep 9th, 2011The key is ground cumin. Love the flavors of yogurt, cucumber and cumin. We in India make a cold salad, Raita, using cucumber, yogurt, green chilies, cumin and fresh coriander. Soothing to the soul! Gorgeous picture.
Btw, love your space. Beautiful.
5:52 am Sep 10th, 2011Hi Nicole, Your Creamy Soup recipe has been selected to be featured in a Recipe Guessing Game. Please share the following link with your friends and fans. To play, go here: http://knapkins.com/guess_games/326?source=blog Congrats again!!
3:12 pm Nov 3rd, 2011A dutch site , where you can find recipes for kefir making in ducth.
10:50 am Nov 26th, 2011Kefir
Wow, what a cool recipe, i really need to make it on my own, thanks for sharing it here.
11:32 pm Dec 20th, 2011