Cold Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 leek, sliced, white part only
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 teaspoon dill or mint, finely chopped
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• sour cream, as a garnish

Directions

1. 1

   Peel 2 cucumbers, slice, and saute gently in 2 tbsp butter with 1 sliced leek and 1 bay leaf for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned.

2. 2

   Stir in 1 tbsp flour.

3. 3

   Add 3 cups chicken stock and 1 tsp salt and simmer for 30 minutes. Put the mixture throuth a blender half at a time and strain through a sieve. Chill.

4. 4

   Add 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated, 1 cup cream, and the juice of 1/2 lemon.

5. 5

   Stir in 1 tsp finely chopped fresh dill or mint. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. 6

   Chill in the refrigerator for at least another 30 minutes, so soup will be icy cold when served.

7. 7

   Serve in chilled soup cups with a dab of sour cream on top of each serving.