Cold herby cucumber soup is my global pandemic dish. Had it not been for the coronavirus and resulting quarantine, I wouldn’t have stayed in Southeastern Pennsylvania long enough to plant and tend a garden, one that produces an absurd amount of cucumbers and herbs. I also wouldn’t have considered teaching virtual cooking classes.

Unlike in-person classes, where we work with a host of ingredients and equipment, online courses require simpler recipes. After all, I can’t expect people to spend hours tracking down unusual spices and produce or invest in special kitchen tools. That’s where a quick, easy dish like Cold Herby Cucumber soup comes in handy.

A few words about cucumbers

Originating in India over 3,000 years ago, cucumbers are one of the oldest cultivated plants. Although classified as a fruit, they are used as a vegetable in salads, soups and hors d’oeuvres. While North Americans consume them raw, parts of Asia and Europe also cook them.

Cucumbers consist of 95% water, making them a great thirst quencher. Low in calories and fat-free, they possess a small amount of Vitamin K. Mild in flavor, they go well with many ingredients, including basil, chili peppers, cilantro, dill, garlic, lemon, mint, onions, parsley, salmon, sour cream, tomatoes, vinegar and yogurt.

Equipment for cooking

To make this soup, you’ll need two pieces of special equipment, a food processor or blender and a fine mesh strainer or colander. In all likelihood, you already own these two tools.

All of the ingredients in Cold Herby Cucumber Soup go into the bowl of your food processor or blender. There they get pulsed until well combined. Yea! It’s a “one-pot” meal!

Because we don’t want an extremely chunky soup, you will use a fine mesh strainer or colander to strain half of the ingredients into a large bowl. The other half can be added, as-is, to the bowl. By stirring the chunky and smooth soups together, you create a complex and delicious, lightly textured dish.

Making Cold Herby Cucumber Soup

In case anyone would like to watch a YouTube video on making Cold Herby Cucumber soup, here’s an excerpt from my Zoom class on Cool Foods.

Cold Herby Cucumber Soup

If making this soup in advance, place it in the refrigerator to chill. Depending on how long it’s refrigerated, you may not need to include the ice cubes.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds cucumbers, washed

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 scallions, washed, roots removed and ends trimmed slightly

½ cup firmly packed mixture of fresh basil, mint and parsley, washed and drained

1 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sherry or white wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon soy sauce

¼ cup water, divided

Ice cubes, for chilling

Feta cheese, crumbled, for serving

Using a vegetable peeler or knife, remove the skins from the cucumbers and discard.

With a sharp knife slice the cucumbers into quarters length-wise. Still using the knife, remove the seeds from the cucumbers and discard them.

Place the cucumbers, garlic, scallions and herbs in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse the ingredients until chopped.   

After scraping down the sides of the bowl, add the yogurt, salt, vinegar, soy sauce and half of the water to the bowl. Process the ingredients until smooth. If the soup appears too thick, add the remaining water.

Pour half of the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a large mixing bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the solids in the strainer so that all of the liquid goes into the bowl. Discard the solids.

Pour the remaining soup directly into the bowl. Add several ice cubes and stir to combine and chill. When the soup has reached the desired cold temperature, remove the ice cubes and spoon the soup into bowls. Top with crumbled feta cheese and serve.