Chilled avocado, cucumber & mint soup – Simbambili Lodge

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There are several ways to beat the African heat during your South African safari with Thornybush. You can take a refreshing dip in the pool, lie in the shade or hide out in your cool and comfortable accommodations. However, our favourite way to tackle the temperature at Simbambili is with a light and refreshing afternoon meal. What could be more revitalising than a cool cucumber soup with mint and some of South Africa’s favourite fruit, avocado? It is super-simple to make too, which makes it perfect for an impromptu poolside snack. Ingredients

1 Whole avocado
1 Whole cucumber
2 Cups Greek yoghurt
½ Handful fresh mint (stems removed)
Pinch of salt

Method Blend all ingredients together until smooth, adding as much ice as you like. Pour the soup into bowls, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, garnish with a sprig of mint and a swirl of chilled cream and serve. If you like a stronger flavour, add an extra avocado and a squeeze of lemon. Delish! We usually serve this as a starter but it’s perfect as a quick snack or light lunch, especially when you add some crispy bread sticks to the fray.

Bread Sticks

Ingredients

250 ml Cake flour
2,5 ml Salt
30 ml Sugar
10 g Instant yeast sachet
Warm water

Topping

Parmesan cheese finely grated
Fresh rosemary

Method Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Combine all the bread ingredients in a bowl, adding enough warm water to form a smooth bread dough. Roll pieces of the dough into stick shapes and cut them to the desired length. Place the bread sticks on a prepared baking sheet and sprinkle parmesan and rosemary over them. Bake until the sticks are crisp and lightly golden. Serve them with the cool cucumber soup. The delicious refreshment of this soup disguises the fact that it’s also very good for you. We all know that cucumber is the king of diet foods. It’s full of healthful vitamins like vitamin C and K as well as large doses of Magnesium, Manganese and Potassium. Avocado, apart from being a blissful accompaniment to so many meals, is also a super hero of the heart-healthy brigade. It’s one of the fattiest plant foods around but almost all of those fats are of the monounsaturated kind, making them more helpful than harmful. Monounsaturated fats are known inflammation busters and are rumoured to boost your body’s defences against cancer. What’s more, studies show that avocado helps to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, while boosting HDL (good) cholesterol. They’re also full of vitamins K, C, B5, B6, E, folate, potassium and trace minerals. Honestly, what’s not to love about avocados? When you book a safari with Thornybush we go out of our way to ensure your comfort and well-being. Book your South African safari with us and discover even more sublime safari comforts.