Julia Child’s Cream of Cucumber Soup
PDF found at Mrs Dornbergs
Don’t be afraid of the cream of wheat below. If you don’t have an on hand, then you can substitute uncooked quinoa or rice!
Ingredients
1 ½ Pounds cucumbers (about 3 large)
½ Cup minced shallots (about 3)
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 Cups chicken stock, plus extra if needed
½ Teaspoons white wine vinegar
¼ Cup farina (cream of wheat) cereal
Salt and fresh ground white pepper
1 Cup sour cream
1 Cup minced fresh dill, tarragon or parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Peel the cucumbers. Cut 18-24 paper-thin slices and reserve for garnish. Remove the seeds from remaining cucumbers and cut into ½ inch chunks; you should have about 4 ½ cups of chunks.
- Heat 4-quart or larger sauce or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add butter and once melted add shallots and cook for several minutes until tender, but not browned. Add cucumber pieces, chicken broth and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then stir in the farina. Simmer, partially covered, about 20-25 minutes. Puree in a blender (or using immersion blender) and return soup to the pan. Thin out with additional stock if necessary and season with salt and white pepper to taste.
- Just before serving, beat in ½ cup of the sour cream and ½ of the fresh herbs. Ladle the soup into bowls and place a dollop of remaining sour cream on top of each. Float a few slices of cucumber on top of the cream and sprinkle with a generous portion of remaining chopped fresh herbs.
