Soup 25: Cucumber & Smoked Salmon

Well...so much for one soup per week. I realize it's been a while. I've been eating soup but haven't had much time to blog about soup lately. Hopefully I can remember the soups I made, good thing I took pictures.

I wanted to try this soup especially because I am a huge fan of cucumbers and dill and I'm a little fascinated chilled soups. I wasn't really sure about how the smoked salmon would add to the soup, but the whole point of this blog is to try new foods, so Why not! Although I love seafood, especially sushi, salmon isn't my favorite but I thought I would try it paired with some of my favorite ingredients.

Overall the ingredients were easy to find. One trip to the farmer's market and Trader Joe's and I had everything I needed. I had seen the smoked salmon guy at the farmer's market many times before, but this was the first time I visited his stand. I only needed a few ounces so I bought the smallest piece, but it was still a little pricey considering I wouldn't likely use the rest.

The first step was to sautee the onions in butter until softened. I added the cucumbers and potato and cooked for another minute. Then I added the stock, 3 dill sprigs and 1 teaspoon salt. I simmered covered for 25 minutes.

I used my awesome hand blender to puree the soup and let cool for about 15 minutes. Then I added the creme fraiche and 4 tablespoons chopped dill. Feel free to add more dill to taste. The cucumbers give a faint taste, so the dill really freshens the soup up and adds flavor. I put it in the fridge overnight and served the next day.

Before serving I added salt to taste and a tad bit of lemon juice. Last part was a garnish of smoked salmon and I was ready to serve.

Overall, I give this soup 3 stars. The salmon seemed to overpower the light flavor of the cucumber. I almost felt like I was eating cold salmon with dill. It was different, which is what I expected. Not sure I'd make this one again, but glad I tried it. Pretty much confirmed that I do not like smoked salmon. I wonder what other garnish may have made this better???? If you have an idea, please let me know. I'd be happy to try this again.



Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter / from home
1 cup chopped onion / from home
4 medium cucumbers (peeled, deseeded, chopped to 1/2" cubes) / 4 @ $1.50 = $6.00 / Farmer's Market
1 cup peeled, cubed russet potato / from home
3 1/2 cups chicken broth / $1.99 / Trader Joe's
3 dill sprigs / $1.00 / Farmer's market
kosher salt
3/4 cup creme fraiche / $3.29 / Trader Joe's
Black pepper
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice / from home (optional)
2-3 ounces smoked salmon / $9.00 / Farmer's market (for the smallest piece I could find)


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour plus 4 hours to cool
Servings: 6
Taste: 3 stars
Prep: easy
Cost: $21.28 ($3.55 per serving)