This Chilled Cucumber Soup is a refreshing warm weather favorite perfect for brunches, afternoon tea and fabulous al fresco dinners. The combination of yogurt and mint is classic; the addition of garlic and lemon is sublime.
This creamy-but-light Chilled Cucumber Soup is in constant rotation on our menus, especially during the summer months. I like to serve it as a soup course in cocktail glasses, or as an amuse-bouche in shooter glasses or ceviche spoons. You can make this soup with a bit of texture, or blend it until it’s completely smooth.
About the Ingredients
Cucumber
For this soup you can use any type of cucumber you like. Garden and English cucumbers are both widely available in stores and farmer’s markets – I prefer to purchase organic. The soup in the photo was made with the Straight Eight heirloom cucumbers I was growing at the time. I have also used homegrown lemon cucumbers – it takes two or three to replace each regular sized cuke. Select cucumbers that are firm and without soft spots. Blemishes are fine, but avoid cukes with deep cuts or gouges as they may harbor bacteria.
Yogurt
This recipe calls for plain Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has most of its liquid component strained away, so it’s thicker with more protein and fat than regular yogurt. Regular yogurt is thinner and usually a bit less tart. I use both types depending on what I have on hand (or what’s on sale), and they both make a delicious soup.
Garlic
Select garlic with little to no odor and no sprouts. If you can smell the garlic through the skin, it is past its prime. Garlic should feel solid and heavier than it looks. If the garlic is light, it is probably drying inside the skin. Whole, unpeeled heads should be stored in a cool, dark location with good air circulation.
Mint
Fresh spearmint bunches are usually available at grocery stores and farmer’s markets. The mint should be fresh, fragrant, and green without spots or slimy areas (yikes). If you see a spearmint plant at your local nursery, buy it. It is a useful kitchen herb that grows well in pots. You can keep it outside in the spring and summer, and it will thrive in a sunny window in the fall and winter.
Lemon
Choose lemons with smooth, bright, evenly colored skin. If it has green areas, it’s not ripe enough. Give the lemon a light squeeze – it should be pliable but not squishy. Lemons should be washed right before using. This recipe uses 1 tablespoon of juice, which is usually around half of a lemon.
Vegetable Stock
Vegetable stock is made by simmering clean, untrimmed, lightly sautéed vegetables (carrots, turnips, onions, celery, etc.) in water until it reduces by about half. Then the pot is strained and the spent vegetables are discarded; the liquid that remains is stock. Stock is generally not salted, but it can be flavored with herbs. I make a big pot of vegetable stock every week or so and use it in soups and dishes as needed. If you prefer, for this Chilled Cucumber Soup recipe you can substitute dairy or plant milk for the stock. Obviously stock and milk are not interchangeable in all recipes, but in this soup, it works.
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg
You likely have these items on hand. Start off slow with the salt and taste it as you go. Remember this saying – “you can add more salt, but you can’t subtract it.” The pepper is optional, I keep a grinder on the table if anyone wants it. The nutmeg is optional as well, but I like to include it – it’s a tiny bit that’s just enough to enhance the flavor without overpowering it.
Garnish
Consider saving a few cucumber rounds and spearmint sprigs to use as garnish. A lemon twist is a lovely garnish too.
Inspiration
This soup was inspired by years of working in restaurants – and dining out at Lebanese and Greek restaurants – where cucumbers and mint were used in numerous dishes. I am also a fan of doogh, a Persian beverage made with yogurt and mint. After many rounds of tweaking the ingredients and measurements, this recipe was ready to serve; it tastes like if tzatziki was soup. I’ve been making this soup since the 90s – unlike the rest of the photos on this website, the pic is nearly vintage too. It was taken in the mid-aughts with a 7MP camera, my beloved Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W7. It seemed so futuristic at the time – I felt like Jane Jetson. Anyway, I was going to re-shoot the photo – and I still might – but I’ve grown fond of it so for now, it stays. Enjoy!
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If you enjoyed this Chilled Cucumber Soup Recipe, you may also like Cucamelon Refrigerator Pickles.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Passive Time | 3 hours |
| Servings |
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- 3 cucumbers seeded, cubed
- 1 cup yogurt plain
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup spearmint leaves removed from stems
- 1 cup vegetable stock (or substitute dairy or plant milk)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt plus more, if needed
- black or white pepper to taste, optional
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
Ingredients
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- Peel cucumbers, remove seeds, cut into small cubes. Before cubing, reserve a few slices of cucumber to use as garnish. If you like, set aside a few mints sprigs for garnish too.
- Place cucumbers into medium bowl, stir in yogurt. Add the garlic, mint, lemon, salt and nutmeg, stir until well mixed. Taste, add more salt if necessary.
- Place mixture blender or food processor and pulse to desired texture. Return to bowl, then stir in a cup of stock (or milk, if substituting).
- Cover and place in refrigerator for 3 or more hours until chilled. Serve in bowls or glasses garnished with cucumber slices.
- Leftover soup should be refrigerated and consumed within 3 days.
