Chilled Cucumber, Spinach, and Avocado Soup

  • 2 Tbsp butter or vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 lb fresh spinach
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 long, slender cucumbers
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 4 Tbsp crème fraîche
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Fresh chives or dill, for garnish

Chop onion.  Melt butter/oil in a large soup pot.  Sauté onion until golden and softened.  Wash spinach and remove large stems.  Chop leaves coarsely.  Add spinach to cooked onion and stir, over medium low heat, until wilted.  Add vegetable broth, continue heating over medium high heat.  Peel and seed cucumber.  Cut into small dice.  Add to soup pot.  Gently simmer for about 20 minutes until cucumber and onion are soft.  Remove pot from heat.  Purée using an immersion or table top blender.  If avocado is ripe/soft, remove peel and pit, add in chunks to soup and purée.  If avocado is unripe/firm, remove peel and pit and grate the avocado flesh into soup.  May be pureed or left in shreds for texture.  Add lemon juice and zest.  Combine well, taste, adding salt and a few grinds of black pepper.  Stir in crème fraîche.  Check for salty/sour balance, adding salt or more lemon to taste.  Serve chilled or warm, topped with snipped chives or fresh dill.