cool as a cucumber – passioneats

It’s getting steamy around here, so I thought I’d help combat the heat by offering up a favorite recipe of mine. During the dog days of summer, what could be better than a no-cook dish? This chilled soup has been in my repertoire for years and for good reason: it’s a snap to prepare and so refreshing! A favorite to take on picnics to the park or the beach, it can be served elegantly in a bowl with garnishes or is equally yummy just poured in a plastic cup. At any given point in the season, you can usually find a container of this in my fridge….

Cucumber Yogurt Soup

Simple as this is to make, it does require a tiny bit of prep. For this soup, I prefer to use traditional plain yogurt, preferably nonfat (it tastes just as good as lowfat, so why waste the calories?).

In order to thicken the yogurt, place it in a cheesecloth lined strainer over a bowl, cover and place in the fridge overnight. The yogurt will be very thick. If you really want to skip this step, you can use Greek yogurt instead, which is already pretty thick and doesn’t need to drain. But I don’t think it has the same tang as the traditional yogurt, which adds flavor to this dish.

Peel two English or hothouse cucumbers and quarter them. Using your knife to cut a wedge in the center, remove the seeds from each cuke. Roughly chop 1 1/2 of the cukes; dice the remaining half cucumber and reserve. Add the roughly chopped cucumbers to a blender.

Finely mince a large garlic clove. Sprinkle a teaspoon of kosher salt over the garlic and, using the side of your knife blade, mash the salt into the garlic making a paste. Add the garlic paste to the blender.

Add the drained yogurt to the cucumbers and squeeze the juice of 2 lemons on top. Sprinkle in kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Blend all the ingredients until pureed and thick. Add about 1/2 cup water to thin soup consistency. Taste for seasoning; add more lemon juice and salt and pepper if needed.

Finely mince fresh dill and mint leaves. Stir herbs and reserved diced cucumber into soup. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving to allow flavors to develop.

On a hot day I find myself craving a cup of this cool and tangy soup–I suggest you make a double batch to have on hand for a light lunch or snack. You can thank me later.

Serves 4:

1 32 ounce container plain nonfat yogurt,

or 1 17 ounce container nonfat Greek yogurt

2 English cucumbers

1 large garlic clove

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, juiced

water

2 tablespoons dill, finely minced

2 tablespoons mint, finely minced

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Cucumber Yogurt Soup

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