Cucumber Soup with Bacon Gremolata

This chilled cucumber soup is creamy and refreshing — and the bacon gremolata takes it over the top. In fact, the bacon gremolata is a recipe from my cookbook and it's so versatile that it's in my cookbook twice: sprinkled on a collard green slaw and then again on roasted cabbage wedges. You really can't go wrong with this topping! You'll find yourself sprinkling it on everything from soups and salads to avocado toast and roasted veggies.

Aside from turning on the stovetop to fry the bacon you really don't have to heat up your kitchen. And hey, heating up the kitchen just for a hot second to fry bacon isn't half bad. You can also fry your bacon in a cast iron pan on the outdoor grill too (which is my trick in summer heat). Regardless of which method you choose, I hope you all enjoy this soup as much as we do. Serve it alongside a simple green salad and — voilࠦamp;#8212; dinner is served!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5-7 minutes
Serves: 4

Bacon Gremolata

• 3 strips of good quality thick cut bacon
• 1/2 cup unsalted almonds
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest

Cucumber Soup

• 2 large slicing cucumbers, roughly peeled and finely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 3-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dill (stems removed) chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley (thick stems removed) chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• a small handful of ice cubes

Preparation

1. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. When cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.
2. Place the almonds in a small food processor and process until they are finely chopped, being careful not to over-process into a nut butter — you want a little texture here. Then, in a bowl, toss the bacon, almonds, minced parsley, and lemon zest together.
3. In a blender combine the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, parsley, ice cubes, and olive oil. Blend until smooth.
4. Keep soup chilled until ready to serve. If you use ice cubes it should be ready to eat right away. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
5. Divide the soup between bowls and top with the bacon gremolata.

Notes

Use this recipe as a guide. Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary.