My Mom's "Gurkensoße" (cucumber soup)

My Mom calls it a "Gurkensoße" which litteraly translates to cucumber sauce. However, it is a soup. It is a recipe she picked up from her mother-in-law who is not a native German speaker. So, maybe the word got mixed up somewhere in translation :)

This soup is more on the sour side due to the cucumber and vinegar. It is a very (vegetarian based) fresh and light summer soup. The potatoes and the bread (if you serve it with bread)  make it a little heartier.

The cucumbers used in this recipe are not the commonly used salad cucumbers or pickled cucumbers. They are specific cooking or stewing cucumbers. They are slightly smaller then the salad cucumber, but thicker. The color is a little darker. The important part is, that they have less seeds inside and have a stronger flavor. Making them perfect for this soup.

Ingredients:

• 4 cucumbers (cooking/ stewing cucumbers)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter (or margerine)
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 6 small cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 liter water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground careaway  
• 4-5 potatoes (peeled and cut in cubes)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 tablespoons vinegar
• salt/ pepper to taste
• 4-5 tablespoons sauce thickener ("Saucenbinder dunkel" - substitude with corn starch or flour/water mix)

Preparation:

Prepare the Cucumber

Peel and thinnly slice the cucumbers, you may want to use a mandoline for it. Season with salt and let sit for 1-2 hours. The salt will draw out the excess water of the cucumbers and flavors them - a critical step not to be missed! Then, squeeze the cucumbers slightly and drain them.

Prepare the Roux

In a pot, heat up the butter. Add the flour und stir. It shoud have a thick consistency. When you scrape it from the botton, it should take a few seconds to flow back in place. It should not be too liquid, but also not too thick. Add more butter or flour if needed. When it starts to bubble, add the garlic. Keep stirring to not burn the butter/flour mix or the garlic. The roux is ready when it turns slightly brownish with still a yellow tinge.

Fill up the Pot

Now, add the cucumbers and stir to mix them with the roux. Add the water, the salt, the ground careaway and stir. Let cook for about 10 minutes. Add the potato cubes, a pinch of salt and a bit of water. Let cook for another 20 minutes till the potatoes are soft. A fork should go in smoothly.

Season and Serve it

Lastly, add the vinegar, some more salt and pepper to taste. Thicken the soup either with a special sauce thickener (e.g., Mondamin) or alternatively, with a bit of cornstarch. You can also mix together some flour and water in a small bowl and add this to the soup for thickening. Serve with bread.

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