Chilled Cucumber Soup

This recipe, submitted by contributor Ruth Laney, relies on crisp cool cucumbers to provide a chilled concoction that won't weigh you down in the heat.

The recipe calls for a mortar (and presumably a pestle) to make a walnut, garlic and olive oil paste—the idea of which made the Country Roads Test Kitchen cooks feel very chef-like. While there's nary an object that even resembles a true pestle in our Test Kitchen, the end of a fat wooden spoon did the trick to crush the ingredients together.

Once the mashing is done, the rest of the recipe is a breeze—add the buttermilk and vinegar, run a knife through a cucumber (we diced ours because we like a little crunch), and season to taste with salt and pepper. Though it's not called for or necessary, if you have fresh dill growing out back it would probably enhance the flavors. Be warned that this soup is light and refreshing and will likely trick you into eating more than a reasonable portion. If you're looking for something new to add to your summer cuisine rotation, give this recipe a try and let us know how it goes.

Ingredients

• 3–5 walnuts, shelled (or walnut pieces, about 1/2 cup)
• dash of salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 qt. buttermilk (or 1 qt. yogurt diluted with 1/2 cup water)
• 1 or more cucumbers, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a mortar mash the walnuts with salt. Add garlic and oil and continue to mash to a paste. Mash in water and vinegar, then stir mixture into chilled buttermilk or diluted yogurt in a large bowl.
2. Add chopped cucumber and season with salt and pepper. Serve cold. Serves four.

Note: "I peel and grate the cucumbers instead of chopping them, and I mince the garlic instead of mashing it for more even distribution. After pouring in the buttermilk, I add the water and vinegar to the empty milk bottle, cap it, and shake well, thus getting every ounce of buttermilk."