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Cucumber Soup with Lemongrass and Spinach

A chilled or warm cucumber soup flavored with lemongrass, spinach, and cilantro.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 14 ingredients
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Why it works: Cucumber and spinach match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 355 recipes. Both carry trans-2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓

Cucumber Soup with Lemongrass and Spinach

Time10 minutes simmer after boiling

Ingredients

Directions

Make the soup base

  1. Melt butter in a large saucepan.

  2. Add celery, onion and lemongrass.

  3. Cook gently until onion is tender, 15 minutes.

  4. Add cucumbers and stock.

  5. Heat to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until cucumber is tender, 10 minutes.

  6. Strain solids from liquid, reserving both.

Blend and serve

  1. Puree solids with spinach and cilantro in a blender or food processor.

  2. Add reserved liquid, cream, salt and pepper; mix until smooth.

  3. Serve warm or chilled.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

523Calories
35 gProtein
35 gFat
19 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chicken100g cooked165
Vegetable1 tbsp (14g)120
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Cucumber1/2 cup sliced (52g)16
Spinach1 cup raw (30g)7
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Lemongrass1 tbsp (6g)5
Cilantro1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cucumber + spinachtop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together355 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  2. Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together16,012 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  3. Celery + spinachtop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together616 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

  4. Spinach + peppertop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,400 recipes

    Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

  5. Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,518 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Unsalted butter
Adds richness and carries the aromatics as they soften in the pan.
Cucumbers
Provide the main body and fresh, mild flavour of the soup once simmered and blended.
Chicken stock or broth
Supplies the liquid base and savoury depth for the soup.
Spinach leaves
Add green color and a mild, earthy flavour when pureed.
Whipping cream
Adds fat for a smoother, silkier mouthfeel.

The step that matters

Simmer the cucumber until tender, then strain. Cooking cucumber only until tender keeps its fresh flavour and avoids a dull, overcooked taste. Straining removes fibrous solids so the puree is smooth once blended with the liquid.

Swap the cucumber

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, celery, onion, chicken, spinach, cream, pepper):

  1. Potatofits better
  2. Leekfits better
  3. Chivefits better
  4. Cucumberthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, celery, onion, chicken, spinach, cream, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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