Lemon Cucumber Soup – Refreshingly Chilled
This refreshing chilled Lemon Cucumber Soup is made the Mediterranean way, with heirloom lemon cucumbers, yogurt, lemon, and plenty of fresh herbs!
Keep an eye out for ‘Lemon Cucumbers’ at your farmers markets, or grow your own—you’ll be glad you did!
Refreshingly Chilled Cucumber Soup
Cucumber soup is most often associated with France.
Many recipes I’ve come across say that chilled cucumber soup, the kind served on scorching summer days, came from there.
Still, if you travel to Andalusia on a hot summer day, you’ll find a cooling cucumber gazpacho waiting there.
That brings me back to my own background in the Middle Eastern world, which has had a strong influence on Andalusia as well.
Mediterranean Refreshing Summer Appetizer
Arabs have been making a cold, refreshing yogurt drink for centuries. It’s often served as a starter or a light lunch.
Most often, the yogurt is Homemade Yogurt. That Middle Eastern drink is called Ayran.
With yogurt, a little ice water, and a pinch of salt, it becomes the perfect drink for sweltering summer months, especially since cucumbers are packed with vitamins.
What Is A Lemon Cucumber?
The summer heat has blessed me with an abundance of Lemon Cucumbers, and they pair beautifully with yogurt in this chilled soup.
A lemon cucumber is an heirloom cucumber variety, round like a tennis ball and yellow as a lemon.
What Does A Lemon Cucumber Taste Like?
Even with the word “lemon” in its name, it doesn’t taste citrusy at all.
It tastes just like a classic sweet green cucumber, only in a rounder shape.
Once I got seeds for this charming little cucumber and saw how enthusiastically they grow, it quickly became my summer favorite.
Besides a few classic cucumber plants I still tuck into the garden, these are the ones I grow most often now.
They make a gorgeous Cucumber Salad and are wonderful in Tzatziki!
Greek Yogurt vs Sour Cream
Sour cream can be swapped into plenty of recipes, sure, but let’s be honest: it doesn’t offer the health benefits of real yogurt.
Yes, I said real yogurt.
Not every yogurt is properly fermented enough to deliver the daily probiotic benefits you want.
In fact, many brands add probiotics later, along with thickeners and sometimes gelatin.
So please, if you want a light, refreshing meal on a hot day and the added wellness boost, use a trustworthy plain real yogurt for this soup.
A Word About Greek Yogurt
As I mentioned earlier, I’m particular about finding real yogurt with natural probiotics, not added ones, and most Greek yogurt brands have proven to be the real thing.
How do I know?
Real Yogurt
Since childhood, we’ve made yogurt the Syrian way: boil the milk, let it cool to 115 degrees, stir in half a cup of real yogurt, cover it, and leave it out overnight.
By the next day, it thickens nicely. Then store it in the fridge and save half a cup as the starter for the next batch.
Fake Yogurt
Until 1998, I never had trouble finding store-bought yogurt with live probiotics to start my own batch, almost like making sourdough.
Then, all at once, yogurt brands started cutting corners, and with that came the loss of those natural, beneficial probiotics.
I tried 10 different brands!
Then in 2019, when several Greek yogurt companies and a few small dairy farm yogurt makers entered the market, I tested again.
It worked!
So now I stick with those brands.
Is Greek Yogurt Too Thick For A Chilled Yogurt Soup?
Yes and no!
Of course, Greek yogurt is too thick to drink on its own or to have soup-like consistency right out of the container.
But once the juicy cucumbers are pureed and the lemon juice and olive oil go in, the texture is just right.
You can always add a splash of ice-cold water if needed, but at least you’ll know your yogurt still carries the natural goodness we want in our food.
Summertime Chilled Yogurt Cucumber Soup
If you want a light dinner or a quick lunch, it just makes sense to keep a container of cold Greek yogurt cucumber soup in the fridge for a few days during summer.
With just a handful of simple ingredients, you can have this refreshing soup ready in minutes.
Storing Lemon Cucumber Soup Until Ready To Serve
Once the cucumber yogurt soup is made, it will keep in an airtight container for several days.
When you’re ready to serve it, just shake it well, taste for salt, and add a splash of ice water if needed before serving.
Cooking For Television
When I was invited to the FOX WBFF Television studio to share a few recipes, this was one of the dishes I brought along.
Packed in an airtight container and kept on ice, it was easy to pour and serve.
That makes it ideal for picnics and boating lunches.
Why was I invited to the TV studio?
I had just finished being featured on an 8-episode cooking series, The Great American Recipe with PBS, and the news channel was thrilled to share my stories with our state!
How To Make Cold Greek Yogurt Lemon Cucumber Soup
If you’re using a standard cucumber, just peel it and cut it into smaller pieces.
If you’re using the heirloom lemon cucumber, take a moment to hollow it out from the inside and save the outer shell for serving the soup.
All the ingredients go into a food processor, blender, or are pureed with an immersion blender, then blitzed into a creamy cold soup that’s ready to serve right away.
That’s all there is to it!
Equipment Needed
- Cutting board
- Paring knife
- Small spoon – like a demitasse spoon
- Blender
- Measuring spoons
- Garlic press
Ingredients Needed
- 4 Lemon Cucumbers or 2 English cucumbers
- 1 cup Plain Greek yogurt homemade
- 2 tbsp Lemon juice 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1/4 tsp Sea salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp Fresh Dill extra for garnish
-
If using lemon cucumbers, carefully cut off a small part of the top and hollow them out, reserving the remaining chopped cucumber pieces. Save the lemon cucumber balls to use as small serving bowls. If using English cucumbers, simply peel, and reserve finely diced cucumber. Small decorative serving bowls will be needed.
-
Place the chopped cucumber pieces in a food processor, along with the remaining ingredients and puree until you have obtained a creamy consistency. Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 1 hour.
-
If using an immersion blender and a large bowl, combine cucumber, plain yogurt and lemon juice (lime juice can be used instead if that is your preference), and whisk with the blender until a creamy consistency is obtained. Add remaining ingredients and puree again. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to serve cold.
-
When you’re ready to serve, give the mixture a good shake to combine everything well. Taste and add more salt if needed. If it thickens, whisk in a little extra cold water until you reach the consistency you want. The cucumber juice should provide enough liquid for the ideal chilled cucumber soup. Ladle into bowls, drizzle a little olive oil over the top, and finish with a sprig of dill for garnish.
Post Comment