To Kielbasa Infinity (and beyond!)

This week, we looked to an old summer standby meal: Kielbasa Ciabatta Sandwiches and Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup. There’s nothing fancy or complicated about the meal, but it can come together in just a few minutes, and it is probably exactly what you need during summer’s last gasp. Double up on the kielbasa, like we did, if you want leftovers the next day. Does it sweeten the pot if I tell you that both dishes combined have only 5 main ingredients? (I would like to declare that salt, pepper, and ice don’t count as ingredients before my fact-checking friend, Kristie, takes me to task over my ingredient count!) 

Kielbasa Ciabatta Sandwiches

1 link (13 ounces – shrinkflation) Polska Kielbasa

3 ciabatta rolls

Cut kielbasa links into 5 pieces and split each piece in half lengthwise, cutting not quite all the way through. Grill, flipping once, until grill lines appear on split side. Split rolls and serve kielbasa in rolls to make sandwiches.

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup

1/2  English cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into large chunks

6 ounces plain yogurt

1 avocado, peeled and cut in large chunks

1 cup ice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 dash ground black pepper or sriracha (optional)

Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Scrape down sides and add cold water, if needed, and blend until smooth.

This soup/sandwich combo is normally simple perfection, but our chilled soup suffered this time from an underripe avocado, a cucumber-heavy ratio, and general pilot error. Usually, Phil makes it, but Ben and I did this time. It never did achieve the creamy consistency we were looking for, and therefore, shall not be pictured. Nobody wants to make a bowl of watery, green, chunky insulation. I mean, we ate it, but you wouldn’t want to! When you are cooking to infinity and beyond, sometimes you hit and sometimes you miss. We know this chilled soup is usually great, so we’ll try again another time. Until then, we can always take solace in endless kielbasa.