One way I love to beat the summer heat is with cold, refreshing food. And cucumbers are the coolest of the cool. Their refreshing flavor profile is the reason that gazpacho feels so fresh. In this cold soup recipe, I let cucumbers be the star. With a handful of ingredients and a blender, you can whip up this soup in 15 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- This soup doesn’t require any cooking. In this easy no-cook recipe, I use English cucumbers because they are seedless and have tender exteriors. I also bring in flavor with tender herbs like chives (it’s less harsh than raw onion!) and fresh dill.
- It’s perfect for summer. After rounds of testing, I’ve developed a really well-balanced soup worthy of your summer repertoire.
Key Ingredients in Cucumber Soup
- English cucumbers: Scoop out the watery center of the cucumbers. Yes, English and Persian cucumbers are seedless, but the center membranes are filled with water. Scoop it out and use just the cucumber flesh for maximum flavor.
- Greek yogurt: I double down on the soup’s coolness with the addition of Greek yogurt for some tang.
- Lemon: I balance all the flavors out with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Tahini: For extra body, I took a cue from the chilled cucumber and tahini soup recipe from Sami Tamimi and Tara Wiley’s cookbook, “Falastin.” While tahini is a main flavor profile in their recipe, I use it to just bond all the flavors together.
- Rice vinegar: When developing this recipe, I couldn’t help but feel like it needed more. Turns out rice vinegar adds the perfect amount of sweetness without overpowering the soup.
Helpful Swaps
- Use your favorite tender herbs. I use dill and chives but you easily substitute herbs like tarragon, chervil, and parsley. Just be sure to use tender herbs over woody herbs (like thyme and rosemary).
- Switch up the topping. In this recipe, I used chopped cucumber pieces and herbs to bring in additional flavor and texture. Feel free to add whatever you’d like. Toasted seeds or dukkah would be delicious.
Cold Cucumber Soup
Serves 4- 2 tablespoons fresh dill fronds (from 1/2 bunch), plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives (from 1 large bunch), plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves (about 15 sprigs), plus more for garnish
- 2 medium English cucumbers (about 8 ounces each)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/4 cups low fat or full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Flaky salt (optional)
Trim the ends from 2 medium English cucumbers. Cut in half crosswise, then cut each piece in half lengthwise. Scoop out the watery centers with a small spoon and discard. Finely chop the cucumber until you have 1/2 cup and refrigerate for garnish. Coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers and add it to the blender.
