Chilled Cucumber and Herb Soup
By 2pm the sand is too hot to walk on barefoot and nobody wants to stand over a stove, which is exactly why this chilled cucumber soup exists — five ingredients, no heat, and a taste like the ocean smells right before a storm. It travels in a mason jar and won’t spoil in the heat like a mayo-based salad, making it the rare cold soup that’s actually practical beach food.
Ingredients
- 3 large English cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup cold water, plus more to thin
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Add the chopped cucumber, yogurt, water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dill, mint, salt, and pepper to a blender.
- Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds, until completely smooth. The soup should coat the back of a spoon but still pour easily.
- Taste and adjust. If it’s too thick, add cold water one tablespoon at a time. If it tastes flat, it usually needs more salt or lemon, not more herbs.
- Transfer to a container with a tight lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This soup actually improves after a few hours — the flavors need time to settle into each other.
- Ladle into bowls or jars. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of chopped walnuts, and a few extra mint leaves torn by hand.
Cook’s Notes
Don’t skip the fridge rest — at least 1 hour, and ideally a few hours — because a soup served right after blending tastes disjointed, like the ingredients haven’t agreed to be friends yet. Pulse the dill and mint in at the very end for just ten seconds so the soup stays pale jade instead of turning murky army green, and use English or Persian cucumbers rather than waxy grocery-store ones for more water and less bitterness. Toast the walnuts for two minutes in a dry pan before chopping — raw ones taste dull against all this brightness.
Ingredient Swaps
Swap the dill for basil or the mint for cilantro if you want a different green note, and a dairy-free yogurt works fine if you thin it a bit more, since it won’t have quite the same body. Toasted almonds or pistachios can stand in for the walnuts on top, and a few diced avocado cubes turn this into a heartier lunch instead of a starter.
Serving Suggestions
Pour it into wide-mouth mason jars with lids for an easy carry down to the sand, and serve it alongside something crunchy — pita chips or a simple tomato salad — so the meal has some contrast in texture.
Storage & Reheating
It keeps well covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, and travels beautifully in a cooler since it’s already meant to be served cold; just give it a stir before serving if it separates slightly.
Common Questions
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Yes, and you should — it actually tastes better after a few hours or even overnight in the fridge, once the flavors have had time to settle together.
Why is my soup too thin or too thick?
Thickness depends on your cucumbers’ water content, so add cold water a tablespoon at a time if it’s too thick, or blend in a bit more yogurt if it’s too thin.
Can I freeze leftover cucumber soup?
It’s not recommended — the yogurt base tends to separate and turn grainy once thawed, so it’s best enjoyed fresh within a few days in the fridge.
