Makes about 4 cups
The first time I made the Demi-Goddess Dressing, I just couldn’t get enough of its bright flavor. And when I found myself licking my fingers, I realized I had to find a more refined way to get my fill of the stuff. The answer was this soup, which uses some of the dressing and then doubles up on many of the flavors that make it so alluring. There’s more buttermilk, more cucumber, more citrus and more herbs. And there are three ways to enjoy this cold treat: traditionally, as a soup; on the rocks, as a sipper; or in shot glasses, as a quick refresher or an accompaniment to a salad that you’re serving as a starter.
Working Ahead
The soup will keep for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container.
Put the buttermilk, Demi-Goddess, cucumber, zucchini, citrus juice and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a blender and whir on medium to high speed until you have a smooth emulsion. Depending on the power of your blender, this might take a little longer than you expect — you want it to be as smooth as possible, so keep going. Taste for salt — you’ll probably want more — and then toss in the herbs, whir and taste again. Remember that flavors dull when chilled and this mix is going to be served very cold.
Chill the soup for at least 4 hours and stir well before serving. (If feasible, you can refrigerate the soup in the blender jar and just give it another whir when you’re ready to serve it.)
If you’re serving this as a sipper, pour it over ice and pop a straw into each glass. If you’ve got soup in mind, pour it into small bowls. If you’d like, top either with a mini-dollop of yogurt and some herbs. If you’re looking for something in between soup and sipper, pour it into shot glasses.