Recipe: Herbie’s Vintage ’72’s Cucumber Bisque

It took guts for Aaron Teitelbaum, chef and co-owner of Herbie’s Vintage ’72, to put Balaban’s legendary chilled cucumber bisque on his menu. The soup is one of STL’s few iconic dishes after all, one whose recipe has been a closely guarded secret for over 30 years. And one that Teitelbaum said is notoriously hard to reproduce accurately, even though it’s quite simple. We’re thrilled that he’s allowed us to publish Adalaide Balaban and Selina Ford’s original recipe; it’s the perfect summer cooler.

Cucumber Bisque
Courtesy of Herbie’s Vintage ’72’s Aaron Teitelbaum
About 2 quarts

1/4 lb. chicken fat*
2 cups flour
1½ tsp. white pepper, plus more for seasoning
2½ quarts chicken stock
7½ lbs. cucumbers, peeled
1 stick unsalted butter
3 yellow onions, diced
½ cup granulated sugar
3 bunches parsley, chopped
1 cup lemon juice
Salt to taste
½ cup sour cream

• Make a roux: In a large stock pot, melt the chicken fat. Whisk in the flour and white pepper and cook until it is blond. Whisk in the chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes.

• Chop the cucumbers into fine pieces using a food processor. 

• In a large pot with a lid, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and cover. Sweat the onions until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the cucumbers and sugar. Simmer for 1 hour.

• Cool both mixes, then combine them. 

• Blend the parsley and lemon juice and add to the cucumber-roux mix. 

• Purée the soup in a food processor.

• Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

• Just before serving, stir in the sour cream.

* 1 stick butter may be substituted for the chicken fat.