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Miso fermented garlic x 2

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miso fermented garlic

Miso fermented garlic

Miso fermented garlic (and garlic bulbils!!!) are fast and easy to prepare … and give you not only yummy fermented garlic, but garlic flavored miso too! As a huge fan of both miso and garlic, what’s not to love? This year I experimented with fermenting garlic bulbils in miso too. After using all the green garlic scapes, I had a lot of bulbils at my hands. So the last of my garlic bulbils got buried under miso to be dug up during winter months!

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fresh garlic

Miso fermented garlic

This is the season for both fresh garlic! Whenever I see it in stores, I can NOT resist. Fresh garlic leaves your fingers sticky and the pungent aroma is nothing compared to the imported garlic of winter months. This year I experimented with my first batch of fresh garlic by covering the cloves with organic miso paste and leaving them to ferment. And because I had garlic bulbils at hand at the same time, I did the same to them too! After about a month in the fridge, it will be time to taste my miso fermented garlic and the garlic flavored miso. I can’t wait!

As time goes by, miso fermented garlic will continue to develop in flavor, softening in both texture and in taste. If you keep the garlic cloves covered by miso and only use clean utensils, miso fermented garlic will easily keep a year ++++ in the fridge. Or so I’ve read, we shall see! In order to actually conduct such a long term experiment, I think I need to make a few more jars 😉

misozuke garlic

Misozuke

Pickling or preserving veggies in miso paste is a technique that comes from Japan (d’oh). Misozuke are usually veggies pickled in miso paste, and ninniku no misozuke is miso pickled garlic. You can read more about misozuke from Just One Cookbook’s site! My first introduction to miso fermented garlic came however from Bon Appetit’s Brad Leone and his It’s Alive -series. Later I saw Imamu make miso pickled veggies on YouTube! (Sorry, but I can’t for the life of me remember which video it was… But if you love Japanese food, I highly recommend watching any and all of her videos!) Ever since, I’ve been waiting for a chance to do some miso pickling or preserving too. And finally, here we are! This experiment is more in the style of Brad’s miso fermented garlic than misozuke, but I will definitely give the more traditional misozuke a go soon too.

I thought I’d share this project with you, although I haven’t had a chance to taste the results yet. The time for fresh new garlic (and garlic bulbils at least here in Finland) has begun and in case anyone is up for this experiment, I better talk about it now! I will update this post with results and taste test once the garlic is ready! I hear a month is needed for fermenting the fresh garlic cloves. If one uses a bit older garlic, they get ready in about two months! Even if mine aren’t ready yet and I’m experimenting also with garlic bulbils, I am certain all of them turn out dreamy! After all, miso pickling is an old tradition, and those tend to be kept alive for a good reason ❤️

garlic scapes

garlic scapes recipe

Garlic scapes & garlic bublils

Around the time when I made this experiment, I had a hefty amount of garlic bulbils at hand for the first time in my life. Outside of Finland many already know that you can eat the green garlic flower stems aka garlic scapes, but here this seems to not be a very known fact yet, unfortunately. I’ve been drooling over all the garlic scape recipes online for years, and so I was over the moon when I finally got a hold of these delicious green delicacies! You can eat garlic scapes as a vegetable (sauteed, grilled, steames, fried, pureed, mixed in with hummus, soups, stews, salads… well, whatever you like, really!) or instead of garlic. The green stems have a texture similar to green beans and they are absolutely delicious!

The batch I bought from a local farmer included the green stems, but loads of garlic bulbils too. At first I didn’t know what to do with them. In fact, I desperately tried to find out what they were … well, even what they’re called! I mean, I knew absolutely nothing about growing garlic! I found out that the bulbs at the end of the garlic scapes are called bulbils, and that some throw this part out, some use it to grow more garlic. I decided to cook some of the bulbils I had, and found them delightful! Honestly, they are just like a cluster of mini garlic cloves – super good in anything I’d typically use garlic in. So, by the time I had made my batch of miso fermented garlic, I knew I had to try to fermenting some garlic bulbils in miso too!

garlic bulbil recipe

garlic bulbil recipe

Garlic miso

The miso I used was an organic miso on the lighter side, though not quite the most mellow and light kind of white miso which I would have preferred. Around the time of the experiment, I was stuck with what was available at my local grocery store! I would have wanted to use a really mellow shiromiso to allow the garlic flavors to be the hero of this concoction, but the more robust flavors in the jar I had at home will be good too, no doubt.

To be honest, I wouldn’t making this experiment with any kind of miso, light or dark, mellow or funky! I use miso a lot in my cooking and absolutely love the flavor of all the types that have crossed my path. That’s why I think I will definitely do more experiments with miso fermented garlic, using different types of miso. I know I will make use of all the garlic flavored miso I’ll end up with!

fresh garlic recipe

miso fermented garlic

Miso fermented garlic cloves and bulbils

Miso fermenting is a fast and easy preserving method for garlic and garlic bulbils. A jar of these yealds you both fermented garlic and garlic flavored miso!
Course preserve
Cuisine Japanese
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Author Juulia
Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 20 mins
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Equipment

  • glass preserving jar(s) with lids

Ingredients
 

  • miso paste (preferably organic)
  • garlic cloves or bulbils (organic and as fresh as possible)
Notes:
You can use up the garlic scented miso in any way you'd use miso in your cooking ... although I wouldn't be making any miso chocolate chip cookies with it 😀
When using super fresh garlic, make sure you peel the cloves well! If you are using older garlic, they will be ready a bit slower so in about two month's time, I've read.

Instructions

  • Sterilize the jars and their lids. I usually pour boiling water in them and leave them like that for around 15 minutes. Then I leave them upside down to air dry and cool off in the drying rack of my kitchen.
  • With a clean spoon, pack about a centimeter of miso paste at the bottom of the jar. Peel your garlic cloves / bulbils and stick them in the miso so, that they aren't touching the walls of the jar nor each other.
  • Cover the garlic with more miso, making they layer at least a centimeter deep on top of the previous layer. Try to pack in the miso tightly so no air gaps are left behind. Add a new layer of garlic and miso and keep going until you reach the top.
  • Leave a few centimeters empty at the top. Tidy up the edges of the jar and close the lid.
  • Let the jars ferment in room temperature for three days, then move them to the fridge. You may notice that the miso starts to bubble and rise, leaving pockets of air. That's okay! Let the jars develop in the fridge at least a month before using!
  • When digging out the garlic, always use a clean utensil. Wipe away the miso and snack away, or puree the garlic to soups, dressings, hummus, mashed potateos... you name it! The garlic will stay good in the jar as long as it's covered by the miso for up to a year (maybe more, we shall see!).

miso fermented garlic

Ps. I also put some of the garlic bulbils in honey! By the time the miso fermented garlic is ready, I will also be sampling on the honey fermented garlic bulbils!

Sources:

Eastridge Farms Garlic FAQs, Cooking with garlic bulbils, Japan Guide: Tsukemono

Cold silken tofu in the style of Hiyayakko

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cold silken tofu recipe

We’ve been eating a helluva lot of cold silken tofu lately! Hiyayakko aka cold cubed tofu (冷奴) is a simple, quick and incredibly delicious Japanese summer dish. It has saved many a sweaty days around our household this summer! It’s fast and easy to prepare and can be modified to a lot of tastes. During this record breaking heat wave I’ve been very lazy to cook anything and so, we’ve ended up with hiyayakko on our plate almost daily. In fact, I think I’ll go make myself another plate right now!

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cold silken tofu

Hiyaykko – cold cubed tofu

Hiyayakko (hiyakko, yakko-dōfu) means literally cold cubed tofu. Hiya means “cold” and yakko refers to the servants of the samurais during the Edo period. Apparently they wore vests decorated with cubic shapes … and somehow yakko then became to refer cutting into cubes. I’m not quite sure, since the sources I’ve found have been giving me a bit of a different info… but in any case, what an interesting story!

At its simplest, this dish is made with ingredients counted by the fingers of one hand. However, you wouldn’t believe it from the amount of flavor! I do admit to being apprehensive at first. I mean, how could cold silken tofu with just a few garnishes be anything special? But alas, I should obviously have known better. Why would millions and billions of people eat this every summer if it wasn’t special? 😀 The cold silky soft tofu is the most refreshing sensation, and a drizzle of good soy sauce, ponzu or mentsuyu supports the delicate flavor so well. Most days I love to keep my plate minimal, adding just some grated ginger, scallions and katsuobushi. But sometimes I load up my plate with all kinds of veggies too! Be it simple or more loaded with stuff, cold silken tofu has become my ultimate go to on a sweaty steamy hot day … And those seem to be the only kind of days this summer.

soft tofu

Silken tofu

Hiyaykko is made with soft and delicate silken tofu. In Japan this kind of tofu is called kinugoshi tofu and there are different versions of it – some extremely soft, some more jelly-like. Since silken tofu has so much water content compared to the hard tofu (momen tofu), it needs to be drained before making hiyayakko. If the tofu is very delicate, it’s easiest to do by taking of the top of the packaging only. Then cover the surface with kitchen towel and flip the tofu very carefully around to drain. In its container it will better hold it’s shape! After draining all that’s left to do is to add the garnishes and drizzle with sauce… And pling, hiyayakko is done!

I’ve been testing all silken tofus I’ve found here in Helsinki, and so far the best have been the kinds that are on the firmer side. But only photography-wise 😀 It’s the taste that matters, right? If you can get your hands on super fresh silken tofu, I’d say go for it! And even better if you make it yourself … which I won’t even dream of during these exhausting summer days. But, although hiyayakko is very much a summer dish, I might take it with me to the winter months if I ever end up making my own tofu!

Hiyayakko tofu recipe cold silken tofu

Cold tofu, toppings, sauce… done!

Hiyayakko is usually topped off with scallions, katsuobushi and freshly grated ginger. Other popular toppings include wasabi, umeboshi, japanese mustard, shiso, okra, daikon and yuzu. The sauce is added to the cold tofu at the end. It can be soy sauce (and about the type: I bet everyone has their own favorite), ponzu or mentsuyu. I personally love to go with mentsuyu, which is a japanese soup/dipping base packed with umami! It has all the flavors of dashi (kombu, katsuobushi and often dried shiitake too) + soy sauce, mirin and sake. Since it usually includes katsubushi (dried bonito aka fish), mentsuyu is not suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Vegan mentsuyu does exists, but at least here in Finland it hasn’t crossed my way! You can read more about mentsuyu from Just One Cookbook + find a recipe for vegan mentsuyu here!

What I’ve gathered, hiyayakko is one of those dishes that changes from home to home and from izakaya to izakaya. You can add what you like on top, from fresh or preserved veggies to fish to even ham! My favorite toppings have lately been cucumber, fresh corn and radishes. Plus lots of garlic scapes!!!

Cold silken tofu in the style of hiyaykko

Cold silken tofu in the style of japanese summer dish, hiyayakko, is a fast, delicious and effortless snack, side dish or appetizer! You really don't need a recipe... but here goes anyway 😀
Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Japanese
Author Juulia
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
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Equipment

  • kitchen towel
  • microplane/grater

Ingredients
 

  • 300 g silken tofu
  • mentsuyu* / ponzu / soy sauce (to taste)
  • fresh ginger (to taste)
  • 1 scallion / small white onion with greens attached
  • 2-3 tsp sesame seeds
  • katsuobushi* / roasted nori (to taste)

Optional:

  • fresh corn / cucumber / tomato / kimchi / radishes... (to taste)
  • japanese mustard / umeboshi / yuzukosho... (to taste)
Notes:
  • I've understood that Hiyaykko is usually served as a side dish in Japan, but we usually eat it as a snack or a very light lunch. Especially when I add a load of veggies, the dish turns into a very refreshing summer lunch!
  • In our household of two adults, 300g of silken tofu serves two (or one if I'm by myself and want lunch). I usually add around a tablespoon of mentsuyu on my plate, but depending what you're using and how much flavor you want, add as much or as little as you like. Especially with soy sauces the saltiness varies a lot, so it's always better to add a little at first and then go in with more 🙂
  • FYI: If you have a vegan or vegetarian at your table, remember that store bought mentsuyu usually contains fish! You can serve the hiyaykko with roasted nori seaweed instead of katsuobushi flakes.
  • If you notice water accumulating on the bottom of the plate before adding the sauce, you can still carefully tilt the plate to remove water before serving!

Instructions

  • Remove the lid of the tofu package. Keep tofu in the package and put a kitchen towel on top. Carefully flip the package around and leave the tofu to drain while you prepare the toppings.
  • Thinly slice scallion / onion with it's greens. Chop your choice of veggies to bite sized pieces if using.
  • Carefully turn the tofu around again and remove the kitchen towel. Cut the tofu into cubes (if there's two of us eating I just cut it in half). Again very carefully put the tofu pieces on plates.
  • Peel and grate some ginger on top of each cube. I usually add about a teaspoon. Garnish with scallions/onion, sesame seeds, katsuobushi or nori and your choice of veg if using.
  • Drizzle some soy sauce, ponzu or mentsuyu on tofu right before serving. Done!

chilled japanese tofu

Charred cabbage wedges & vanilla hazelnut miso dressing

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charred cabbage wedges

Charred cabbage with a vanilla hazelnut miso dressing = easy and effortless summer food that just happens to be vegan.

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When you char cabbage to a point where it’s almost blackened, something magical happens to it. The inside cooks to a tender, sweet and juicy softness while the outside gets an intense caramelized crust! This is no surprise to anyone who grew up eating cabbage casserole and cabbage rolls (me!), fighting over the crispy charred bits at the top (me me me!!!). Yet, it took me this far to start charring my cabbage on purpose.

roasted cabbage blackened cabbage grilled cabbage

Charred cabbage wedges

Charred cabbage wedges drenched in a nutty sauce is THE easiest way to turn a head of cabbage to a delicious meal. There’s minimal prepping and cooking involved here: just chop the cabbage into wedges and leave it on any hot surface you happen to be cooking with. BBQ, cast iron skillet, anything will do. And once your cabbage is sizzling away, you don’t need to fiddle with it! Just leave it alone until the surface is deeply browned, then flip. And if you think you accidentally burned it… even better. This is every daydream-prone chef’s dream!

Charred cabbage wedges are super delicious as is, but of course you can bathe them in some brown butter for an added level of deliciousness… or keep things vegan and drizzle over some intensely flavorful vanilla hazelnut miso dressing! This sauce is as effortless to make as is the charred cabbage. Simply open up a few jars and mix: dressing, done.

hazelnut miso dressing roasted cabbage wedges

Grilling season

Here in Finland everyone practically moves outdoors during summer. Since the winter is so cold, long and dark, once the days are long and sun won’t set, everyone is spending as much time as possible outside. Never mind the mosquitoes nor the rain. Nor the possibility of snow, though global warming has made this option a considerably more rare situation – summer is grilling season! Whether one is lucky enough to own a cottage or is simply carrying a portable grill to the nearest plot of land, grilling is a summer activity loved by all.

I personally don’t own a grill. Nor do I have a summer house! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But I do make sure to make myself available whenever someone suggests a BBQ party. There is something special about grilled food, even when it’s just plain old veggies with a little sprinkle of salt! Every summer I spend some time at my dad’s childhood home. It’s an old farm in the middle of fields with not much else to do than cook, eat, repeat (and sauna!). That’s when I get to play with the grill as much as my heart desires! More often than not, it’s cabbage that’s cooking. I’ve tried whole roasting, beer can cabbage and cabbage steaks… But this year it’s going to be all about these charred cabbage wedges. Just look at them! They are a thing of beauty:

charred cabbage wedges

charred cabbage wedges

Shopping list

If you feel like grilling up some effortless summer food too, here’s what you need to have in your cupboards to make charred cabbage wedges with vanilla hazelnut miso dressing happen:

  • coconut cream
  • hazelnut butter (which you can sub for any nut butter of your preference)
  • hazelnuts (or the nut of your preference)
  • white miso
  • vanilla (not vanilla sugar, not vanilla essence, but real vanilla, which is sold here in powder form under the Urtekram brand)
  • soy sauce
  • maple syrup
  • cabbage
  • your choice of mushrooms and fresh toppings, such as radishes and green onions
  • edible flowers to make everything look festive and pretty! It’s summer; time to paaaaarty!

Charred cabbage with vanilla miso hazelnut dressing

Charred cabbage with vanilla miso hazelnut dressing is an effortless, delicious vegan alternative for the summer BBQ season!
Course Appetizer, first course, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword vegan, vegetarian
Servings 2 people
Author Juulia
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
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Equipment

  • Grill / BBQ / cast iron skillet

Ingredients
 

  • 1 head cabbage
  • 1-2 tbsp oil (with a high smoking point)
  • salt (to taste)

Vanilla miso hazelnut dressing:

  • 1 tbsp white miso paste
  • 1½ tbsp hazelnut butter (or your nut butter of choice)
  • 4 tbsp coconut cream
  • ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp real vanilla

To garnish:

  • 100-150 g shiitake or button mushrooms (or cold smoked tofu)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce + oil + sprinkle of sugar/syrup
  • 1 handful hazelnuts (dry roasted and peeled)
  • 4-5 radishes
  • 1 green onion
  • salt flakes + freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • edible flowers (to taste)
Notes:
This recipe makes for a side dish/appetizer/first course for four persons; a lunch/dinner/main course for two.

Instructions

Charred cabbage:

  • Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage if they are bruised/wilted. Cut the head of cabbage to 6-8 wedges (depending on the size and how many you are serving). Make sure each wedge stays intact with a piece of the core holding the leaves together.
  • Rub the wedges with some oil. Grill/pan sear the wedges on medium heat to a deeply charred state, then flip. Don't fiddle around with the pieces too much, just leave them to cook, checking the pieces once you start to smell the charred cabbage.
  • Check the doneness by inserting a sharp knife, a fork or a tooth pick to the thickest part - if it has no trouble entering the cabbage, it's going to be soft inside. If you are cooking the wedges on too high of a heat, the outsides might get burnt before the middle is cooked. In that case finish off the cooking on a cooler area of your grill ... and remember: cabbage can take the heat, even if it's blackened it's still going to be delicious!

Miso vanilla hazelnut dressing:

  • While the cabbage gets nice and toasty, mix the miso vanilla hazelnut dressing! Simply measure the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. The dressing should be pretty intense in flavor, so that it can season a whole head of cabbage later on!

Serving:

  • The charred cabbage is wonderful with just the dressing, but if you want to make it into a complete meal, serve it with some fried mushrooms or cold smoked tofu! I like to season the mushrooms/tofu with a drizzle of soy sauce and something sweet.
  • I like to balance the charred and deep flavors with something fresh, so I serve the wedges with slices of radish and lots of freshly chopped green onion. To finish off the dishes, I add a handful of hazelnuts, which I toast on a dry pan and then rub between a towel to remove the skins. You can use any nuts you see fit, personally I think the nuts need to match the nut butter in the sauce!
  • Once it's time to eat, drizzle the dressing on to the wedges, and sprinkle on the mushrooms/tofu, radishes, green onions and nuts. To make your charred cabbage extra summery and festive, I like to finish the presentation with some edible flowers!

hazelnut miso dressing

Lilac infused vodka

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lilac infused vodka

LILAC INFUSED VODKA

Lilac infused vodka preserves the most enchanting scent of summer into a bottle for later enjoyment! Lilac vodka takes only a few days to make and easily transforms into lilac liquer with the addition of lilac syrup. If you are a fan of lilacs like me, what are you waiting for? The season is soon over…

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lilac vodka

lilac drink recipe

Lilac alert!

I’ve been hearing the lilac alert for a while now. The scent of the lilac growing next to our balcony is telling me there’s no time to waste, the lilac season is almost over! It’s now or next year, if I want to preserve some of this beauty for later days.

Ever since I discovered that lilac blossoms are edible, I’ve been making something out of lilacs each year. Usually I’m making lilac syrup or lilac sugar, or simply adding some of the floral scented blossoms into my salads. But this year I thought of experimenting a bit further… and made some lilac infused vodka!

lilac infused vodka

LIlac infused vodka

In the recent years I’ve experimented with infusing alcohol, mainly vodka, whisky and gin. I’ve made Bloody Mary vodka and olive oil gin among other things, and have loved the results! That’s how the thought crossed my mind: maybe lilacs could be infused into vodka too?

A quick online search reveals that YES, lilac infused vodka is a thing and an easy thing too! All you need to do is fill a bottle with fresh lilac flowers and top it off with vodka. After steeping it overnight in the fridge you can sieve out the spent flowers and add a fresh batch of flowers to repeat the process and intensify the floral flavor. You can repeat the process as many times as you want, but for me the flavor was just right after two rounds of infusing.

“Lilac” vodka

By the way, the lilac flowers turn brown in the vodka and the vodka takes on the color of black tea, and that’s totally normal! The color of lilac infused vodka is unfortunately NOT lilac… Oh well, I guess you can’t have it all.

If you want to take it a step further, you can add lilac syrup to your lilac vodka. Ta da, you’ve got yourself some lilac liqueur!

Lilac infused vodka

Lilac infused vodka is easy to make and preserves the most intoxicating scent of summer into a bottle. You can transform lilac vodka to lilac liqueur with the addition of lilac syrup!
Course Drinks
Keyword foraging, lilac, vodka
Author Juulia
Prep Time 10 mins
Steeping 2 d
Total Time 2 d 10 mins
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Equipment

  • fine mesh strainer
  • sterile glass bottle or mason jar with lid
  • funnel

Ingredients
 

  • 1 part vodka
  • 1 part lilac flowers (green / brown parts, bugs shaken off)

Next day:

  • 1 part lilac flowers (green / brown parts, bugs shaken off)

To make lilac liqueur:

  • 1 part sugar
  • 1 part water
  • 1 part lilac flowers (green / brown parts, bugs shaken off)
  • 3-5 blueberries or red currants ((optional, they add color to the syrup)
Notes:
  • Pick the flowers early in the morning and from a clean, unpolluted area.
  • Try not to wash the flowers, washing removes some of their delicate aroma. Simply shake off bugs and dirt and hand pick the flowers off the stems without breaking them.
  • Try to avoid getting too many green parts in with the mix, they impart bitter flavors to the vodka (or so I've read).

Instructions

  • Remove the stems and green parts from the flowers. Shake off bugs and pick out possible brown parts. Don't wash the flowers (washing removes some of the delicate flavor of the lilacs)
  • Add the flowers to a sterilized glass bottle. Fill with vodka. Close the lid and shake, infuse in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
  • Strain out the spent flowers, pressing on them to extract all the infused liquid from the flowers. Add a batch of fresh flowers to the vodka, close the lid and infuse again for 12-24 hours.
  • Repeat the process a third time if you want a more pronounced lilac flavor.
  • Strain the vodka once more. Store the lilac infused vodka in the fridge.

Lilac liqueur:

  • If you want to transform the lilac vodka to a lilac liqueur, season it to taste with lilac syrup!
  • Lilac syrup is easy to make. Add equal parts of sugar and water to a pot and bring to boil. Add one part of lilac flowers and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about ten minutes.
    You can add a few berries along with the flowers to add color as you begin to simmer the syrup. You can steep the flowers in the syrup overnight in the fridge, or strain out immediately. In either case press the flowers against the strainer to extract all the flavor out of them.
  • The ratio of lilac infused vodka to lilac syrup is totally up to you. I liked the ratio of about ⅓ syrup to ⅔ vodka!

lilac infusion

Sources: urbanhuntress.com + moodymixologist.com

Ps. Some of the recipes I was researching said that you should infuse the vodka for a month. The recipes I used as a guide advised however to remove the flowers after 12-24 hours. Apparently longer infusion might bring out more of the vegetal notes and bitterness from the flowers? Since I’ve made lilac vodka for the first time this June, I have no first hand experience yet of how a longer infusion changes the flavor. If you have some knowledge on the matter, please let me know what you think!

Pps. If you own a sous vide circulator, you can also make a batch of lilac vodka with it! See instructions in Anova’s  sous vide -lilac infused vodka/gin recipe.

syreeni vodka

Cold cucumber soup with herbs and violets

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cold cucumber soup

Cold cucumber soup with lots of fresh herbs and edible pansies is my ultimate summer soup! Making of this cucumber soup is a breeze. You can chop the ingredient straight into your blender and with a push of a button you’re done!

This light, refreshing and summery cold cucumber soup is best served with a few ice cubes and a good drizzle of grassy olive oil. The edible flowers on top are NOT optional! 😉 They are not only a pretty garnish, but add a lovely floral note to the soup!

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chervil cucumber soup

Herb overload!

I was recently in a situation, where I had hoarded a huge amount of fresh herbs to my home for photography purposes! (You can see those photos here.) A lovely situation in theory, but at the time I had little to no time for kitchen shenanigans. As fresh herbs never seem to thrive in my household, I had to come up with a solution fast. I knew that otherwise all the lovely produce would end up in the bio waste!

Cold cucumber soup

As I was racking my brain for ideas, I remembered Green Goddess dressing! This dressing isn’t well known in Finland, but a few years back I gave it a go and fell in love with its freshness. So I decided to mimic those flavors as a cold cucumber soup! Into the blender went a bunch of de-seeded cucumber, followed by a huge amount of herbs. Flat leaf parsley, mint, tarragon and chervil to be exact! I also added the stems and leaves of the edible “salad” pansies I had at home. This variety of violet has a lovely floral note to the greens, so why not add it in too?

To add body to the soup, I drizzled in grassy extra virgin olive oil and creamy full fat Turkish yogurt. To season the mix, I added a small clove of garlic and some scallion greens  – enough to give the soup flavor, but not so much that the alliums would overpower it. A bit of lemon juice, salt and black pepper was added and with the push of a button, my cold cucumber soup was done!

cold cucumber soup

cold cucumber soup

The floral note from the violet stems and leaves turned out to be a lovely addition to the soup! That’s why i think it was only right to also garnish the soup with edible pansies. To amp up the floral notes I also crushed some dried rose petals on top of the soup. Since it’s a cold cucumber soup, it has to be served with ice cubes. And oh what a lovely light, refreshing and summery soup it turned out to be!

Cold cucumber soup with herbs and pansies

Cold cucumber soup with herbs and edible pansies gets done with the press of a blender button! This light and refreshing soup is perfect for a quick lunch or an appetizer on a hot summer day.
Course Appetizer, Lunch, Soup
Diet Vegetarian
Keyword soup, vegetarian
Servings 2 people
Author Juulia
Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 15 mins
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Equipment

  • blender / immersion blender

Ingredients
 

  • 500 g cucumber
  • 2-3 bunches fresh herbs (mint, flat leaf parsley, chervil, tarragon)
  • 300 g Turkish yogurt (full fat)
  • ⅓ dl extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 scallion, green part (or a few chives)
  • edible pansies
  • salt, freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

To serve:

  • ice
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • edible pansies (and/or other edible flowers)
  • flakey salt, freshly cracked black pepper
Notes:
This recipe makes a nice light lunch for two, or an appetizer for four!
I love to use the combination of flat leaf parsley and mint + chervil and/or tarragon in this soup! The subtle aniseed flavor of chervil and tarragon goes really well with the cucumber.
As mentioned, I also throw in the stems and leaves of the "salad pansies" that I use to decorate the soup with! If you can't get a hold of the type of violets which have a nice flavor also in their stems and leafs, you could add the tiniest bit of rose water (tiny, tiny, tiny !!! amount only) to achieve a similar floral note in the soup. But the soup is lovely also without it.
Other herbs to try are watercress, dill, lemon balm and sorrel. Adjust the amounts and ratios of the different herbs to your liking! During wild food season, I like to add in common wood sorrel, and use the flowers as decoration.

Instructions

Preparation:

  • Peel and chop the garlic clove. Chop a few centimeters of scallion green or a few chives and add them to your blender bowl. Top the onions with the juice of a half of lemon.
  • De-seed the cucumber and roughly chop it. You can peel it too, if you like (the cucumber I use here in Finland must be peeled, since the peel is quite bitter). Add the cucumber to the blender and puree everything until smooth.
  • Throw in the herbs of your choice! I like to add a lot of flat leaf parsley, stems and all + some mint, tarragon and chervil. If the herbs have a thick hard stem, I remove them. I also throw in some tender leaves and stems of edible violets, since they add a lovely floral note to the soup. The variety I use is sold here under the name "salad pansy" and is fully edible with a mild floral taste. Please note that not all violets can be used like this!
  • Add in yogurt and blend until everything is super smooth! Season the cold cucumber soup with a good amount of salt and freshly cracked black pepper, blend once more, check the seasoning, adjust if needed... and you're done!
  • I recommend that you leave the soup covered in the fridge to cool off for half an hour or so to chill and to let the flavors develop a bit. Just remember to mix it well once more before serving!

Serving:

  • Serve the cold cucumber soup in deep bowls with a few ice cubes. Drizzle with some grassy extra virgin olive oil and finish the bowls with flakey salt, freshly cracked black pepper and edible violets. Serve immediately!

cucumber yogurt soup