A refreshing cold soup that celebrates summer cucumbers. Goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches.
*See Kitchen Notes for substitutions and further information.
If the soup is too thick, add a little more water or broth for the desired thickness. Stir in the lemon juice, chopped chives and fresh dill (if you are using it).
Ladle into small soup bowls. Top with chopped fresh basil, mint or more dill - whatever your heart desires.
Cucumbers - You can use seedless cucumbers or slicing cucumbers. I always peel and, if the seeds are large, I’ll remove the seeds. This is a great recipe for the overgrown cucumbers that you find hidden in the garden. Just taste first to make sure they haven’t become bitter.
The broth - Chicken broth or vegetable broth either one will work; however, if you can use chicken broth or stock make sure it's as fat-free as possible because this is a cold soup and you don't want it to congeal once the soup is chilled. Also, with a more concentrated broth, I cut the amount back to 2 cups and add 2 cups water.
Dill weed - I usually find myself adding a little more dill at the end, but some might find it too much. So taste first before you add more.
Yogurt - Do not use low fat or fat free yogurt! Use a good quality Greek style yogurt or goats milk yogurt for its creaminess or, a cream top yogurt.
Finishing herbs - This is a mood thing. Are you in the mood for more dill, some mint, basil or what? You can use a mix of herbs or a single herb. Thai basil creates a very interesting flavor, a well as lemon thyme. Mint provides a very refreshing taste and might be easier to find.
Vegetarian and Vegan version - Omit the butter, use vegetable broth and substitute the yogurt with soy or almond milk. I’ve used soy or almond milk several times when I didn’t have yogurt and they both work great.
Slightly revised June 2018
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen