Chilled Cucumber Soup With Alaskan King Crab Recipes

ABDOOGH KHIAR (CHILLED BUTTERMILK CUCUMBER SOUP)

Steps:

• If using dried rose, crumble a few petals coarsely for garnish and set aside. Place the rest on a cutting board and chop as finely as possible.
• Place the buttermilk, yogurt and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender and blend until frothy, about 30 seconds, or whisk together in a large bowl until smooth and frothy. If you used a blender, pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, raisins, walnuts, dill, chives, dried mint and 1/4 teaspoon of the finely chopped rose petals. Stir well to combine and season to taste with more salt. Cover and refrigerate to chill and allow the flavors to come to life, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Just before serving, toast the lavash or bread until crisp but not burned, and break into pieces. Stir the soup to mix. It should be the consistency of a thin, runny soup. If it's too thick, thin it out with water or more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep in mind that you will be adding ice cubes, which will also thin out the soup as they melt. Divide the soup among serving bowls and add the ice cubes. Garnish the top as creatively as you like with crumbled dried rose petals, cucumber, dried mint, dill sprigs, raisins, walnuts and fresh mint leaves. Add the bread pieces right before serving or serve on the side.

COLD CUCUMBER AND YELLOW PEPPER SOUP WITH CRAB MEAT AND CHIVES

Steps:

• Make Soup: In a blender purée soup ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Force soup through a fine sieve into a bowl and chill, covered, 4 hours, or until very cold. Soup may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Just before serving, in a small bowl toss crab with oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide crab mixture among 6 soup bowls, mounding it in center, and ladle soup around it. Sprinkle each serving with finely chopped chives and garnish with diced yellow pepper and chive pieces.