Cold Cucumber and Zucchini Soup

Cold soup is a must on my holiday menu every summer! The first thing that immediately springs to mind is the classic cold soup with beetroot and egg, but as you know I like to experiment. That is why today I have a recipe for a cold cucumber soup with zucchini and yogurt. It is not only great to cool down on a hot day, but the soup is actually a nutritious meal that will help keep your body hydrated, which is so important in summer. For people on a dairy-free diet, I recommend trying coconut yogurt. Remember that cold soups always taste best when chilled 😉

Preparation

I grated the cucumber and the zucchini, sprinkled them with a bit of salt and set aside for about 5 minutes. Then I drained the excess water. I added pressed garlic, yogurt and pepper, stirred, and sprinkled generously with dill. I simply adore this taste!

Why the vegetables are salted and drained first

Cucumber and courgette are mostly water, and salt pulls that water out within minutes. Skip the step and the soup is fine in the bowl and watery ten minutes later, because the vegetables go on releasing liquid into the yogurt. Five minutes with salt and a firm squeeze in your hands or in a sieve is what keeps the consistency where you want it.

Do not throw the drained liquid away straight off. If the soup comes out thicker than you like, a spoonful of it thins the soup back down without diluting the flavour the way water does.

Raw courgette, and the size of the grate

The courgette here is raw, which surprises people, and it works because a young one is mild and firm. Pick a small courgette with thin skin and no developed seeds; a large one is watery, slightly bitter and needs peeling and seeding before it is any use.

Grate both vegetables coarsely rather than finely. On the coarse side of the grater you keep some texture and the soup reads as a soup; on the fine side everything collapses into a purée and the dish turns into a dip, which is a decent thing in itself but not what this recipe is.

Chilling, timing and swaps

An hour in the fridge does more for this soup than any ingredient. Cold blunts salt, so season it, chill it and taste again before serving rather than salting to taste while it is still warm from the grater.

Coconut yogurt is the dairy-free version Anna recommends and it also makes the soup slightly sweeter, which the garlic and dill balance. Dill can be swapped for mint if you want the soup fresher, and a squeeze of lemon lifts it if the yogurt is mild. Eat it the same day: cucumber keeps softening overnight and the garlic gets considerably louder.

If you would rather have summer meals like this one planned into the week with a shopping list, that is what the Diet & Training by Ann app does.

Anna Lewandowska

Cold cucumber and courgette soup

Grated cucumber and raw courgette salted and drained, then stirred with yogurt, garlic, pepper and plenty of dill and served chilled.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Chilling 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Polish

Calories: 140

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 0,75 cucumber
• 0,5 zucchini
• sea salt
• 1 garlic clove
• 0,75 cup natural yogurt
• pepper
• 2 teaspoons dill

Method

 

1. Grate the cucumber and the zucchini coarsely, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside for about 5 minutes.
   
2. Drain the excess water, keeping a little of it in case the soup needs thinning.
   
3. Add the pressed garlic, the yogurt and pepper and stir.
   
4. Sprinkle generously with dill.
   
5. Chill for about an hour, then taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
   

Notes

Ingredient quantities are taken from the recipe box as published. Calories and the number of servings are approximate.

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