Description
Light and refreshing cucumber soup from Ina Garten blends cool ingredients for a delightful summer starter. Creamy textures and herbal notes make this chilled dish perfect for warm afternoons.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 containers (7 oz/198 g) Greek yogurt
- 2 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 cup (240 ml/8 fl oz) half-and-half
- ½ cup (75 g/2.6 oz) chopped red onion
- 6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
- 3 tbsps (45 ml/1.5 fl oz) chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup (120 ml/4 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
- 3 tsps kosher salt (adjust according to taste)
- 1 ½ tsps freshly ground black pepper
- Thin slices of lemon, halved, for garnish
- Fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
- Preparation: Combine yogurt, half-and-half, cucumbers, red onion, scallions, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl, creating a harmonious blend of fresh ingredients.
- Processing: Transfer the mixture to a food processor, pulsing until achieving a smooth, velvety texture with no significant cucumber chunks remaining.
- Herb Infusion: Gently fold chopped dill into the soup base, ensuring even distribution of the aromatic herb throughout the mixture.
- Chilling: Cover the soup with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing flavors to meld and the temperature to become refreshingly cool.
- Finishing Touches: Just before serving, enhance the soup with a bright squeeze of lemon juice, adjusting seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Presentation: Elegantly plate the chilled soup in serving bowls, adorning with delicate dill sprigs and translucent lemon slices for a sophisticated and visually striking appearance.
Notes
- Chill for Flavor Fusion: Refrigerate the soup for at least 2 hours to allow ingredients to meld and develop a deeper, more harmonious taste profile.
- Texture Matters: Process in stages to achieve a perfect coarse-smooth consistency, avoiding over-blending that could turn the soup too watery.
- Seasoning Secret: Taste and adjust salt and pepper just before serving to ensure the most vibrant and balanced flavor possible.
- Garnish with Elegance: Use fresh dill sprigs and thin lemon slices to add visual appeal and a bright, fresh finish to the soup.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 211
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 755 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg