As the summer closes to an end here in Queensland, the cooler months ahead call for warm, comfort meals and nothing says comfort food like a good, hearty soup. Try out my Paleo-friendly and Keto-friendly, warm cucumber soup and see what you think.
The Humble Cucumber
I know that the thought of a warm cucumber might not be exactly appealing, but try it before you knock it. I’ve been on and off on the Paleo diet for about five years now, and whenever my IBS and gluten intolerance flares up, I sort my diet out and start eating healthier again. Let’s face it, there’s no room to play around with a bad diet in your 40s anymore. Give it a go.
WHERE DID THE CUCUMBER COME FROM?
Originally discovered in India, the humble cucumber has been feeding people for over 3000 years and was introduced to civilisation by the Romans and Greeks. I wonder if that’s the reason Greek Salad was introduced to our pallet?
It’s refreshing to eat as it is, but did you know that you can actually cook with it too? When cooked, it sort of reminds you of zucchinis, but its juicy flavour actually makes for an excellent and delicious soup.
PALEO AND KETO APPROVED WARM CUCUMBER SOUP
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 cups of cucumbers
- 1 1/2 cups of homemade vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
METHOD
In a large saucepan, heat oil and caramelise the onion and garlic for 5 minutes.
Add some lemon juice, chopped cucumbers, broth, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering, reduce heat to slow cook all the ingredients for about 10-15 minutes.
Put mixture into a blender and add some parsley, avocado, coconut cream and blend together on low speed until ingredients resemble a soup.
Serve warm or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Optional* Add more parsley and chopped cucumber to garnish for an additional refreshing taste.
THE BEST WAY TO GROW CUCUMBERS
If you’ve every tried to grow your own cucumbers, you may have found that it can be difficult because they spread along the ground and the little creepy crawlies can get to them easily. The best way to grow cucumbers is up. It makes sense right? Cucumbers are a vine and they love to tangle onto wire to find grip, and when they do, they will grow healthily and happily and you will find that you will achieve a good harvest of home grown cucumbers.
If you have a favourite cucumber recipe and would like to share out with me, send me a message in the comment section below.
