This recipe is such an OG. Quite possibly the first dish that I really felt like I created by myself. I (as well as my whole family) has been making this soup for years because it is so refreshing on a hot summer day, is light and healthy, and perfectly lends itself to whatever herbs you have on hand. Oh and did I mention it stays good in the fridge for days?
The consistency can vary a lot depending on the cucumbers you use, so be flexible when you are cooking and remember that the amounts I list are very rough estimates. Like most of my recipes, I don't think I have made this soup the exact same twice. So trust your gut and look out for my tips on balancing the flavor at the end.
Ingredients (this makes an appetizer portion for 5 people):
3 large cucumbers
3/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves raw garlic
1/2 of a small shallot (no bigger than a clove of garlic)
4 tablespoons plain greek yogurt (I like Fage)
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tsp salt
3 cups total of: mint, cilantro, parsley, chives, dill, basil (okay so herbs are obviously hard to measure. As a baseline measure, you want about a cup of fresh herbs - de-stemmed but not chopped - per cucumber you use. I have listed the herbs in order of proportion.)
*Also, it is totally okay to mix and match the herbs based on what you have on hand. The mint is pretty key to the recipe but the others can be shuffled around. No basil? Who cares! Got a bunch of tarragon that is going to go bad? Throw it in! Proud of the scallions you grew in your kitchen? Invite them to the party!
Herbs are a very forgiving and subtle ingredient so don't be scared.
Method:
1. Wash and de-stem your herbs if needed (slimmer cilantro stems can be left in, as well as some other herbs stems if they are thin enough. When in doubt, just taste it! If you can chew it easily and it is not too woody or bitter, you are good to go).
2. Rough peel the cucumbers and slice in half longwise. With a metal teaspoon, scoop the seeds and watery insides of the cucumber out, leaving you with a canoe shape.
3. Using a Vita-mix or food processor, add half of each of your ingredients (breaking the cucumbers into pieces first will help it along). If you are using a smaller device like a NutriBullet or Ninja, that is totally fine, you will just have to do a few batches.
4. Blend until there are no large chunks or leaves visible, but you do not need to blend out all of the dark green flecks.
5. Taste the soup. If you are happy with the flavor, add all the remaining ingredients to blender. *if using a small blender, transfer 80% of the soup into a large mixing bowl and then add next group of ingredients. Do this as many times as necessary*
Tips for adjusting flavor:
- If it is to sharp and spicy from the garlic: add more yogurt and salt
- If it is too bland: add more lemon and garlic
- You want to be able to taste the mint, even just subtly, so add more if you can't
- This isn't for flavor but if your soup is too watery (some cucumbers just are) adding a tablespoon or two of pine nuts or walnuts can help thicken it up
6. If you are saving this to serve the next day or few days from now, pour all the soup into a mixing bowl, cover with saran wrap or a towel and refrigerate. Once you are ready to serve, continue to the next step.
7. *This step may not be necessary if you are using very young cucumbers*
Pour the soup through a medium sieve. It should go through pretty quickly and easily, leaving behind some of chunkier bits and give the soup a much smoother finish. Cool until ready to serve, at least 20 min.
Serving suggestion: I love a good crostini on my soup. In these photos I took a frozen baguette, sliced into rounds, pan fried in olive oil for about 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Top with a little dollop of yogurt and a sprig of a fresh herb - doesn't matter which one. Drizzle a little olive oil over everything.
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