Cucumber Soup with Watercress

Adapted from  myherbsmag.com

I had a few extra cucumbers from my Hungry Harvest take this week.  I saw this recipe and thought it was a simple, low calorie way to use the cakes without having to eat endless salads.  I always like to try new herbs, and watercress is something I don't recall cooking with before.  It reminded me of the taste of wasabi arugula that we grew last summer.  It has quite a bite to it, but was very mild when combined with the cucumber.  In fact, I added several dried spices to liven things up a bit.

To decide about the herbs, I worked with this as I often do - I spoon off a mini portion of the soup for testing.  Then at different spots, I drizzle a bit of the herb I want to try, taste it, and decide whether that herb gets added to the big pot.  Then on to the next and the next.  For instance, I tried nutmeg, but it didn't seem to add anything, so I moved on.  After several spices, it was still too bland, so I added paprika.  I could have gone with cayenne or chili, but the paprika worked well.  Some days I'm more brave than others! This dish can probably take on any favorite taste you'd like to give it.

Here's tonight's result:

Ingredients:
2 salad cucumbers
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 leek, outer layers removed, the rest soaked in water then rinsed to remove dirt
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup of fresh watercress
1/4 cup of fresh basil
1/2 tsp salt to taste, depending on sodium in broth
1/4 tsp pepper
Mixture of your favorite spices - I used a light sprinkle of oregano, garlic powder, and savory, then finally added some paprika for a little kick.
Dollop of plain yogurt, optional

Directions:
1) Put up the broth to heat through.
2) Wash, peel and slice the cucumber lengthwise.  Then remove the seeds with the edge of a spoon and slice into pieces.
3) Slice the leek and let it simmer in hot oil.  Then add the cucumber and mix together for 2-3 minutes.
4) Pour in the hot broth and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until tender.
5) Remove from the heat, add most of the watercress, all the basil and mix with a handheld mixer until smooth.
6) Tasting as noted above, add salt, pepper and spices to taste.  Top with a dollop of yogurt if desired.
I'm curious to try the leftovers to see how it would taste cold.

Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

By Jennifer Segal, inspired by Food & Wine
Servings: 4
Total Time: 20 Minutes

It's difficult to keep the salt content down if fish sauce is one of the ingredients in a recipe - one of the reasons that Thai food is so high in sodium.  But I did change the salted peanuts to unsalted.

I went to have leftovers the next day but they were gone - guess that's a good sign!
Ingredients:

For the Salad
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
2 large English cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup peanuts
up to 1 large jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (or use 1-2 Thai chiles for more heat)
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

For the Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, from 2-3 limes
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

1) Place the onions in a small bowl of cold water. Let sit for ten minutes, then drain well and pat dry with a paper towel.  Since the onions are eaten raw, this takes the 'bite' out of them.

2) In a large bowl, combine the drained red onions, cucumbers, cilantro, peanuts and jalapeño pepper. Set aside.

3) Make the dressing: combine the lime juice, oil, fish sauce, sugar and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve the salad within 30 minutes.

Nutrition Information

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Per serving (4 servings)
Calories: 238
Fat:16g
Saturated fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 21g
Sugar:12g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 6g
Sodium: 600mg
Cholesterol: 0mg