Creamy Cucumber Soup

With an abundance of cucumbers ready from my garden, I needed a recipe that maximise the use of the cucumbers. I found this recipe online and with just a few little tweaks I have made it my own. Don't be fooled by the name, this delicious recipe has no cream in it at all. The creaminess comes from the avocado.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chilli powder
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the soup to a blender. Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt.