Recipe: Cold Curried Cucumber Soup

COLD CURRIED CUCUMBER SOUP

"Here's another nearly-instant cold soup. While cucumbers may not be the most nutritious of vegetables, they are undoubtedly one of the most refreshing. On a very hot day, if you want to be as cool as one, serve this lilting cucumber soup."

1 quart buttermilk
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated (or 4 large English cucumber)
2 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons good-quality curry powder, or to taste
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a serving container. If time allows, cover and refrigerate for about an hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Makes 6 servings
Excerpted from The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas
Copyright 2001 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.