Yogurt or Buttermilk Soup With Spinach and Grains

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (1 generous bunch) spinach
• stemmed and washed in 2 changes of water
• or 6 ounces baby spinach
• rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced cucumber (2 Persian cucumbers)
• Salt to taste
• 5 cups plain low-fat yogurt (free of gums and stabilizers) or buttermilk
• or a mixture of the two
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste)
• finely minced or pureed with a little salt in a mortar and pestle
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (more to taste)
• 1 cup cooked barley
• spelt
• kamut or farro
• 23 cup diced radishes
• Freshly ground pepper to taste (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac (more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 ripe Hass avocado
• cut in small dice

Instructions

1. Place the cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
2. Toss and place in a strainer set over the bowl.
3. Allow to drain for 15 minutes.
4. Rinse if desired and drain on paper towels.
5. Meanwhile, steam the spinach above 1 inch of boiling water until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes, moving the leaves around with tongs once to ensure that they steam evenly.
6. Rinse with cold water and squeeze out excess moisture.
7. Chop medium-fine.
8. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
9. Thin out with ice water if desired.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Chill for one hour or longer.