Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 to 1/3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2½ cups thick plain yogurt (Total Greek Yogurt is best)
• 2/3 cup light sour cream
• 8 drops hot pepper sauce
• 2 tablespoons each of chopped mixed fresh chives, dill, mint, tarragon and flat leaf parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab cleaned and picked through to remove shells
• Salsa (see following recipe)

Instructions

Place the cucumber in a colander and sprinkle salt all over. Set aside for 30 minutes then rinse well under cold water and squeeze out the excess moisture in a clean dishtowel.

Place the cucumber in a food processor with the stock, yogurt, sour cream, hot pepper sauce, herbs and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Process to a purée (you may need to do this in batches). Pour into a large pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).

Remove the soup from the refrigerator and stir. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. To serve, use a 2-inch cookie cutter and pack with lump crab. Remove cutter and top with Salsa then pour soup around the crab until it reaches the top of the crabmeat but doesn’t cover the crab.

Salsa

Makes 2/3 cup
2 large plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 mild red chili, seeded and minced
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Note: Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chili, lime juice, oil, and parsley in a bowl. Season generously, then stir gently to combine. Spoon on top of crab meat.

Tip

To peel cucumber, lie it on a flat surface and use a potato peeler. Cut it in half and use a spoon to remove the seeds.

Tip

Instead of the cookie cutter use a cucumber ribbon. Peel a cucumber with a potato peeler and make a thin slice of cucumber approx. 8 inches in length. Make a 2-inch circle with the ribbon and fill it with the crab. The cucumber will stick to itself allowing you to make a full circle.

Other Soup Recipes

Butternut Squash Soup
Eggplant and Tofu Tempura
Miso Soup with Lobster Medallions
Pasta e Fagioli
Soup au Pistou
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Strawberry Soup
Tortilla Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup