Chilled Cream of Cucumber Soup

This refreshing soup, which is based on a recipe I found years ago in a Julia Child cookbook, is thickened with — believe it or not — farina. It’s absolutely delicious on a hot day paired with a BLT for a nice light meal.

Ingredients:

·      1 Tbsp. butter

·      ¼ c. shallots, chopped

·      1 lb. of seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into ½” chunks

·      4 c. chicken broth

·      1 tsp. white wine vinegar

·      ½ tsp. dried dill

·      3 Tbsp. quick-cooking farina (e.g., Cream of Wheat)

·      1 tsp. salt

·      freshly ground pepper

·      1 c. light sour cream

·      1 Tbsp. dried dill

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and cook the shallots over medium heat for one minute, then add the cucumber, chicken broth, vinegar and ½ tsp. of dill. Bring this to a boil, and then stir in the farina. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Puree with a stick blender until it’s completely smooth. Add the salt and season with freshly ground pepper. Allow the soup to cool, then whisk in the sour cream and remaining dill. Top, if desired, with thin slices of cucumber and a sprig of fresh dill.