chilled creamy cucumber soup

prep time: 8 minutes • yield: 6 servings

In the past, I always bought frozen avocados at Trader Joe’s to store in my freezer. I was in a panic one day because I could no longer find them, and when I asked a stockperson, he said, “Why don’t you just buy fresh ones and freeze those yourself?” I felt pretty silly, but I’ve done that ever since! It’s a great way to keep avocados on hand for easy soup recipes like this. (See the tip on freezing avocados on see here .) If you’re a visual learner, check out the video that I made for this recipe on my website, MariaMindBodyHealth.com/videos/ . Notice that the avocado I used in the video came right out of my freezer, and as you can see, it was perfect, creamy and green!

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

1 avocado, peeled, halved, and pitted

2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons chopped leeks or green onions

1 cup sour cream or Dairy-Free Yogurt ( see here )

1 cup chicken bone broth, homemade ( see here ) or store-bought (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

for garnish:

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Diced cucumber

Fresh ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Divide the soup among six bowls. Garnish each bowl with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, diced cucumber, and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.