With a few choice ingredients and just minutes, you’ve got a substantial soup for a summer day. Choose a crisp, flavorful cucumber with pale green (rather than watery white) flesh for optimal flavor. If the cucumber is organic and unwaxed, leave the peel on for extra fiber and flavor. If you have more time, cover and refrigerate the soup for an hour or more before serving.

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　Two 15- to 16-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

　　3 cups rice milk, plus more if needed

　　1 large cucumber, peeled or not, as desired

　　4 to 6 radishes, halved and sliced

　　1/4 cup minced fresh dill

　　2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

　　Vegan Sour Cream (page 213), optional

　　

Step 1

Combine half of the beans with 1 cup of the rice milk in a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed, then transfer to a serving container. Stir in the remaining rice milk and beans.

　　

Step 2

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise. Cut away and discard the seeds, then slice thinly and add to the serving container.

　　

Step 3

Stir in the radishes, dill, scallions, and lemon juice. If the soup is too thick, adjust the consistency with a little more rice milk. Season with salt and pepper. If you’d like, top each serving with a dollop of Vegan Sour Cream.

　　

menu suggestions

Step 4

See the menu with Roasted Summer Vegetable Platter (page 162).

　　

Step 5

For a cool, stove-free summer meal, serve with Baked Tofu and Raw Veggie Wraps (page 152) or Red and Green Cashew Butter Wraps (page 153).

　　

nutrition information

Step 6

Calories: 230

　　

Step 7

Total Fat: 2g

　　

Step 8

Protein: 11g

　　

Step 9

Carbohydrates: 44g

　　

Step 10

Fiber: 7g

　　

Step 11

Sodium: 50mg

　　Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).