(cold) SOUP!

Cold soups make great summer fare. Here are two chilled-soup recipes that we've enjoyed recently (okay, actually we're about to enjoy the avocado one, but I've sampled it). Both are from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook that my brother gave me for Christmas last year.

Cucumber Soup

Ingredients:
3 peeled cucumbers
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large slice white country bread, crust removed and cubed
1/2 c. chicken broth
salt and white pepper

1. Prepare the cucumbers. Cut each cucumber in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Roughly chop 2 1/2 of the cucumbers. Finely chop the remaining cucumber half and reserve for garnish.

2. Puree the soup. In a food processor or blender, combine the cucumbers, yogurt, 1 tablespoon of the mint, the garlic, onion, bread and broth. Process to a smooth puree. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

3. Garnish the soup. Serve at once or, for a chilled soup, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-8 hours. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the reserved cucumber and the remaining mint and serve.

Crab and Avocado Soup

Ingredients:
3 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
salt and white pepper
1/2 lb lump crabmeat, picked over for shell fragments
2 fresh chives, snipped

1. Make the soup: In a food processor or blender, combine the avocados, chiles, coconut milk, lime juice, and 3/4 cup water and process to a smooth puree. Season to taste with salt, white pepper and additional lime juice.

2. Garnish the soup. Serve at once or, for a chilled soup, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-8 hours. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with the crabmeat. Sprinkle with the chives and serve.