There’s no reason to only use cucumbers raw—they are wonderful sautéed then pureed with avocado for a silken-textured soup that’s good warm or cold.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 35 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumbers, divided
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 1 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add 3 3/4 cups cucumber slices, broth, salt, pepper and cayenne; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until the cucumbers are soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender. Add avocado and parsley; blend on low speed until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Pour into a serving bowl and stir in yogurt. Chop the remaining 1/4 cup cucumber slices. Serve the soup warm or refrigerate and serve it chilled. Just before serving, garnish with the chopped cucumber and more chopped parsley, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 173 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 8 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 5 g fiber; 374 mg sodium; 544 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Potassium (16% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 fat

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

I made this and it was very very good. I'm not even a fan of cucumbers. I did have to add more lemon juice than what was listed because the amount listed wasn't enough to make it moist enough to not burn. It still came out well, and all my friends liked it.

, Las Vegas, NV

This soup is excellent hot or cold. I used a little more lemon juice for moisture to cook the cucumbers.

, Thousand Oaks, CA

This recipe was great! I loved it :]

Anonymous, St. Louis, MO

I really like the taste but careful not to use too much veggie broth...because my soup was a brownish color that wasn't at all attractive. Yogurt does help to cheer is up a bit.

tomatoes are tops, Worcester, MA

This was definitely under-seasoned. I added more lemon juice and then we tried small tastes with the addition of rice vinegar (too sweet), white balsamic, and a couple of other spices. It was refreshing, but not a winner. However it did look nice when garnished and plated.

anonymous, Los Angeles, CA

I enjoyed this recipe. I read the other reviews and increased the cayenne to a "dash" instead of a "pinch" and I think it was just right. When I transferred the soup to the blender, I did not add all the broth liquid; I reserved about 1/3 cup. The color and texture of the soup after pureeing was perfect. I figured I could always add some of the broth back in if needed. Great for a summer lunch or dinner!

Kristin, Richmond, VA