A bountiful soup showcases fresh herbs from the garden

What says summer more than herbs fresh out of the garden?

Green Goddess soup is filled with herby green goodness and showcases flat parsley, tarragon and chives.

The soup is a riff, of course, on the famous salad dressing that was first served in the 1920s at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

This version of the California classic also features cucumbers, scallions and avocado, which even out the intensity. Sour cream (or Greek yogurt) adds a creamy richness, while lemon juice and a sprinkle of cayenne give it a nice pop of flavor.

The notion of turning salad dressing or dips into soup – with a few tweaks, of course – is an intriguing one. Hmmm, maybe guacamole soup? Or even spinach artichoke dip soup?

In any case, Green Goddess soup takes advantage of all that summer has to offer. Plus, it's whipped up in the blender, so it's an easy addition to any outdoor meal.

Top it with a few pieces of lump crabmeat, and you have a summer starter that's elegant, easy and fresh tasting.

And what says summer more than that?

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald's director of strategic marketing and innovation and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com.

Green Goddess Soup with Crabmeat

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped

1 ripe medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and quartered

6 scallions, including about 1 inch of the green stem, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

¼ cup Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon tarragon leaves, plus a tablespoon of minced tarragon for garnish

1 tablespoon chives, roughly chopped, plus a tablespoon of minced chives for garnish

1 cup unsalted chicken or veggie stock

1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat

Add the cucumber, avocado, scallions, parsley, tarragon leaves, and chopped chives to a food processor. Process for about 10 seconds. Add the stock, sour cream, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. Process for another minute or so, until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Chill for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, ladle into soup bowls or plates, garnish with a couple of lumps of the crabmeat, and sprinkle with the minced tarragon and minced chives.

Serves 8 as a starter

From myrecipes.com