Chilled Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Dill

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, deseeded and cut into dice
• 1 potato, diced
• 3½ cups chicken stock
• A handful of dill sprigs (half roughly chopped and half finely chopped for garnishing)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 75 g smoked salmon, cut into strips about ½ cm wide

Method

Melt butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add onions and sauté until softened. Add cucumbers and potato and stir for about a minute. Add the stock, half the dill, roughly chopped, and a teaspoon of salt.

Raise the heat, cover, and when boiling point is reached, reduce to simmer and cook until potato and cucumbers are tender. When cooked, take the soup off the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. Using a blender or hand held blending wand, puree soup until smooth. Cover and chill for about 3 hours minimum.

Just before serving, taste and adjust seasoning. Pour into bowls and place a dollop of sour cream on the surface of the soup. Place the strips of smoked salmon on top of the cream and sprinkle with the remaining dill finely chopped. Serve at once.

Suggested Wines To Go With Today's Recipe:-

Gewurztraminer:

Lawsons Dry Hills 2006

Wairau River 2006

Montana Reserve 2006

Morton Estate White Label 2006