During one summer heat wave, I peeked into the fridge to find cucumbers and yogurt. Instead of turning on the stove, I made a cold soup. No one expected to see soup at that picnic, but it was an instant hit. This simple, satisfying, and light soup works alongside just about any dish.
Cool Cucumber Soup
One–two English cucumbers, peeled and chopped (regular cucumbers work too)
One–two cloves garlic, minced (more or less depending on your taste)
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup (or less) quality olive oil
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Combine cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, walnuts, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover and let sit for an hour or so in the fridge. (The cucumber mixture can sit several hours or overnight if you like it super garlic-y.) Remove cucumber mixture from fridge and stir in yogurt and fresh dill. If you like it smooth, put it all in a blender and puree. (I prefer it chunky.)
Pour into bowls. Garnish with cucumber slice or mint sprig. Serve immediately. On particularly hot days, I use an ice cube as garnish.
Makes about 4-1/2 cups.
.JPG)
