Description
Ina Garten’s cucumber soup delivers refreshing Mediterranean charm with cool cucumber notes and gentle herbal whispers. Creamy Greek yogurt and dill create a light summer starter that connects garden freshness with elegant simplicity you will savor with each delightful spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 7-ounce (198 grams) containers of Greek yogurt
- 2 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded, and chopped
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) half-and-half
Flavoring Ingredients:
- ½ cup (75 grams) chopped red onion
- 6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt (adjust according to taste)
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- Thin slices of lemon, halved, for garnish
- Fresh dill, for garnish
Instructions
- In a spacious mixing vessel, amalgamate Greek yogurt, half-and-half (120 milliliters), finely diced cucumbers, minced red onion, sliced scallions, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Transfer the combined ingredients into a food processor equipped with a sharp steel blade, processing in multiple stages to achieve a textured, coarse cucumber puree.
- Methodically blend the mixture until it transforms into a silky, uniform consistency, ensuring no substantial cucumber chunks remain.
- Introduce freshly chopped dill into the smooth soup base, thoroughly incorporating the delicate herb throughout the mixture.
- Hermetically seal the soup preparation with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the temperature to drop significantly.
- Immediately before serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice (approximately or 30 milliliters) into the chilled soup, carefully tasting and adjusting seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Present the soup in elegant serving bowls, garnishing with delicate sprigs of fresh dill and translucent lemon medallions for a visually appealing finish.
Notes
- Garnish carefully with delicate dill sprigs and bright lemon slices moments before bringing the soup to the table for maximum visual appeal and flavor freshness.
- Include only freshly squeezed lemon juice and crisp, fragrant dill to elevate the soup’s authentic taste profile and ensure maximum brightness.
- Divide processing the soup into smaller batches using a food processor to achieve a consistently smooth and creamy texture without lumps.
- Taste and modify salt levels incrementally, beginning with 3 teaspoons of kosher salt and adjusting carefully to prevent overwhelming the delicate soup’s flavor balance.
- Refrigerate the soup for a minimum of 2 hours, allowing complex flavors to meld beautifully and develop a supremely refreshing temperature and taste experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 178 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg