The Most Refreshing Chilled Soup You’ll Make All Summer
There’s a point every summer when turning on the stove starts to feel like a personal insult. This is the recipe for that exact moment. 😉 Cold cucumber soup is creamy and almost shockingly fresh. No cooking, one blender, and about 10 minutes of hands-on work. You’ll need a cucumber, tangy Greek yogurt, a little garlic, and a whole garden’s worth of herbs. I add toasted nuts for texture, but even those are optional.
This is the kind of thing I’d send out as a chilled starter at a dinner party and watch people scrape the bowl. So yes, it gets the Ari seal of approval for resaurant-worthy appetizers.
Ingredient Overview (Spoiler: It’s Not Gazpacho)
Traditional gazpacho is a chilled blended soup, often made with raw vegetables. This version leans creamier thanks to the Greek yogurt, which adds a lovely tang and gives the soup a more luxurious texture.
Start With The Cucumbers
I call for English cucumbers for a reason: thin skin (no peeling), barely any seeds, and a sweeter, less bitter flavor.
What I learned from recipe testing: The one step I won’t let you skip is scooping out the seeds. They’re full of water, and leaving them in waters down the soup and gives it a slightly bitter edge.
The Blender Does the Work
Combine everything in a large blender, then blitz longer than you think you need. If it looks thick at first, keep going—cucumbers release a surprising amount of liquid as they break down.
If it tastes flat, it probably needs a little more salt or lemon. If it tastes creamy but not quite bright enough, add a tiny splash more vinegar. Cold foods need assertive seasoning, so don’t be shy about adjusting before the soup chills.
Don’t Skip the Chill
I know waiting is the worst part, but the chill isn’t optional. Four hours minimum, overnight if you can. It gives the garlic time to mellow and marry, and it gets the soup properly, refreshingly cold.
For crunch, I like to add toasted pine nuts. Plus, I love their buttery flavor. A hunk of crusty bread on the side never hurts either!
Enjoy this at any summer cookout before the main meal (things like juicy grilled spatchcock chicken and tender grilled asparagus). Total summer perfection!
Make It A Meal
As written, this is a stunning starter or light lunch. To turn it into dinner or something heartier, top each bowl with poached shrimp right before serving. The cold soup and tender shrimp are genuinely a great pairing. For that matter, jumbo lump crab would work fantastic too.
Serving at a party? Pour the chilled cucumber soup into small glasses, then pass it around for a refreshing first sip. Don’t garnish until right before you serve so the herbs stay vivid.
That’s really it. Blend, chill, garnish, done. It tastes far more impressive than the ten minutes you put in. If you give it a try, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think!
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Creamy, Chilled Cucumber Soup with Greek Yogurt
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large English cucumbers
- 1¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from ½ medium lemon
- 1 medium shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium garlic clove
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh dill
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro or mint
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar or other light vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Flaky sea salt
- Optional: toasted pine nuts for added crunch and crusty bread
Instructions
- Prep the cucumbers. Halve the English cucumbers lengthwise, then use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Roughly chop (no need to be neat—everything gets blended).
- Add everything to blender. To a high-speed blender, add the chopped cucumbers, 1¼ cups Greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 chopped shallot, 1 garlic clove, dill, basil, cilantro, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, and 1 tsp red wine vinegar.
- Blend until silky-smooth. Blend on high until the soup is completely smooth and creamy, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides as needed. (If it looks a little thick at first, keep blending—cucumbers release more liquid as they break down.)
- Season, then taste and adjust. Add ½ tsp kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, then blend briefly to combine. Taste and adjust as needed—add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or a tiny splash more vinegar to brighten it up.
- Chill (this part matters). Transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). This gives the flavors time to meld and the soup to get properly cold.
- Serve and garnish. Divide the chilled soup between 4 bowls. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil, then finish with thinly sliced chives (or extra herbs), flaky sea salt, and more black pepper. Optional: Top with toasted pine nuts for crunch.
- Optional: make it a meal. For a more filing dish, top each bowl with poached shrimp right before serving. (Also fantastic with a hunk of crusty bread on the side!)
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include bread.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It may separate slightly; just give it a good stir and it comes right back. I don’t recommend freezing.
Nutrition
Photography by Jo Harding.
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