Name: Chilled cucumber-ginger soup with raw tuna
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 kg Lebanese cucumbers (about 4), seeds removed, coarsely chopped, plus 1 extra, thinly shaved lengthways, to serve; 50 gm ginger, finely grated; 50 ml rice vinegar; Juice of ½ lemon; 2 tsp shiro (white) miso paste; 3 spring onions, coarsely chopped; To serve: coriander cress or shiso cress (optional), (see note); Raw tuna; 1 tbsp light-flavoured oil, such as grapeseed; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp finely grated ginger; ½ garlic clove, minced; 350 gm sashimi-grade tuna, diced; 1 tsp gomasio, plus extra to serve (see note); 1 spring onion, thinly sliced

Chilled cucumber-ginger soup with raw tuna

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chilled cucumber-ginger soup with raw tuna.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

This light chilled broth, with its gentle Japanese flavours, has a texture somewhere between juice and a light soup. It needs no cooking, but should be chilled well. Use the ingredients straight from the fridge and divide the soup among serving bowls before chilling to make the process even quicker.

Ingredients

1 kg Lebanese cucumbers (about 4), seeds removed, coarsely chopped, plus 1 extra, thinly shaved lengthways, to serve

50 gm ginger, finely grated

50 ml rice vinegar

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tsp shiro (white) miso paste

3 spring onions, coarsely chopped

To serve: coriander cress or shiso cress (optional), (see note)

Raw tuna

1 tbsp light-flavoured oil, such as grapeseed

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp finely grated ginger

½ garlic clove, minced

350 gm sashimi-grade tuna, diced

1 tsp gomasio, plus extra to serve (see note)

1 spring onion, thinly sliced

Method

Main

1.Process chopped cucumber, ginger, vinegar, lemon juice, miso paste and 150ml chilled water in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add spring onion and process until very smooth. Season generously to taste, pass through a fine sieve (discard solids), divide among serving bowls and chill (30 minutes).

2.Meanwhile, for raw tuna, combine oil, vinegar, ginger and garlic in a bowl, and set aside. Just before serving, add tuna, gomasio and spring onion, stir then pile on top of chilled cucumber soup along with shaved cucumber and serve scattered with cress.

Note Coriander cress and shiso cress are available at select greengrocers. Gomasio is Japanese sesame salt and is available from select health-food shops and Asian grocers.
Notes