What’s not to love about a chilled cucumber soup? Let’s see, no need to turn on the stove on hot summer days – check! Cold food keeps you cool – check! Healthy and full of vitamins and hydrating water – check! Replacing the traditional chicken stock with vegan probiotic Greek yogurt – check! Using up you garden produce – check and check!!
I love this creamy chilled cucumber soup anytime, but especially on hot days when the cukes are coming in strong in the garden. I’ve also experimented by making this soup with garlic and sea salt instead of the fresh mint, and while that’s good too, I love the mint version, because it gives a really crisp and refreshing boost.
I do peel my cucumbers for a lot of dishes, and if you want the smoothest puree for your soup, it’d be best to peel them first. If you keep the skins on, you will get a deeper color green soup, which is lovely! You will also get some skin bits which are extremely difficult to puree in a food processor. I think the soup is prettier that way, but it may not appeal to some who prefer a different texture. Keep that in mind when deciding to peel or not to peel.
Ingredients for Chilled Cucumber Soup
- 2 large and thin skinned (young) cucumbers, thinly sliced. Optionally peeled. Reserve a few slices for garnish
- 3/4 to 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste, if desired
- Fresh mint or chives, for garnish
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine all ingredients together until smooth and to desired consistency.
- Chill for about an hour in the refrigerator.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with the reserved thin slices of cucumbers and a drizzle of olive oil.
