We waited, and waited, and waited for spring in Maine, and it felt like we got one day before Mother Nature started breaking heat records with a 93-degree day in May. It got me thinking about no-cook recipes for the upcoming summer, like Ina Garten’s Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp.
It’s so simple – you blend Greek yogurt, half-and-half, cucumbers, red onion, scallions, salt, and pepper until the cucumbers are coarsely puréed, then stir in fresh dill and let the whole thing chill until very cold.
Right before serving, you add lemon juice, which wakes everything up and keeps it from feeling like cucumber-flavored yogurt. Then each bowl gets topped with cooked shrimp, more dill, and lemon slices. (Pre-cooked shrimp will make this truly no-cook)
It’s cool, creamy, tangy, herby, and exactly the kind of thing I want when turning on the oven feels personally offensive. The shrimp makes it feel like a meal, the cucumbers make it feel refreshing, and the dill-lemon situation keeps it very bright and summery.
Book: Back to Basics, page 66
Rating: 4/5
How Easy Is That – Skill Level: Easy
How Easy Is That – Time Involved: 2 hours, 20 minutes – mostly inactive
Store-Bought Is Fine: Greek yogurt
Recipe on Foodnetwork.com
