Cold Cucumber Soup

This no-cook Cucumber Soup is almost as good as air conditioning on a hot, humid day. It’s cold. It’s refreshing. It’s infused with the invigorating aromas of fresh mint and fresh lime. And nothing could be easier to make. Just toss the ingredients into the jar of a blender and you’re good to go.

There are hundreds of recipes for Cucumber Soup. I made one delicious version for my YouTube channel the other day (click the play arrow to watch). The recipe below is equally delightful, and — as of this writing, anyway — is my favorite version of the soup. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Main Ingredients for Cucumber Soup

Cucumbers. I prefer English cucumbers here because they are sweeter than common garden cucumbers, and their delicate skin does not require peeling. Garden-variety cucumbers have a tough, bitter skin that should be peeled before use. (English cucumbers are sold in every American supermarket — they are the long, thin, and always wrapped in plastic.)

Fresh mint. If you don’t have mint in your garden, you can always find it at farm stands and farmers’ markets during the warm weather months.

Greek Yogurt. This provides ample body and tanginess. Be sure to use plain (unflavored) Greek yogurt.

Lime zest and juice. You can substitute lemon if you wish, but I think lime pairs perfectly with cucumber.

Sugar. You’ll be amazed at what a little sugar does for this soup. It cuts any trace of bitterness and amplifies the pure essence of the main ingredient — cucumber!

Step-by-step instructions:

Take 2 pounds of English cucumbers and cut them lengthwise in half. As shown in the photo above (and as illustrated in the video), use the tip of a spoon to scrape out seeds. Throw the seeds on the compost pile.

Cut the cucumbers into rough chunks and put them in the jar of an electric blender.

Then add to the blender a big handful (about one cup) of fresh mint leaves…

The zest and juice of 2 limes…

And some salt, pepper, sugar, and a splash of either heavy cream or plain water. Blend at high speed until thoroughly pureed — 15-30 seconds.

Now add the Greek yogurt. Blend at high speed until the yogurt is incorporated — about 10 seconds.

Taste carefully for seasonings! You might like to add more salt. Or more sugar. Pour the works into a pitcher, and refrigerate until the soup is quite cold — at least 3 hours.

You’ll find lots of serving suggestions in the video. Just be sure to serve the soup cold, and garnished, if you wish, with finely-minced cucumber or, much easier, thin slices of cucumber and perhaps a tiny sprig of fresh mint. Enjoy!

Here’s the printable: