When I picked up our CSA box last week and saw how many cucumbers were in it, I knew chilled cucumber soup was in my future! The hot and humid weather of late solidified that idea. Cucumbers actually do have a chilling effect since the inside of a cucumber can be up to 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature, which is where we get the saying “cool as a cucumber.” Cucumbers are also high in Vitamin E, which helps promote healthy skin. Spinach (also in this soup) is also high in Vitamin E.
The broth of the soup is made from skim milk and low-fat plain yogurt. Obviously, you can make the soup really rich by using whole milk and full-fat plan yogurt, but that kind of defeats the purpose of a nice light meal on a hot summer day. This soup can be made vegan using non-dairy milk and non-dairy yogurt. Just make sure you choose a non-dairy milk that doesn’t add a lot of flavor (rice milk would probably be best). I haven’t tried any non-dairy yogurt, so just be sure to choose one that has a nice tart flavor. If it isn’t as tart as plain yogurt, add more lemon juice.
I love soup. Next to buttered toast and green monsters, soup is my favorite dish. I also like a lot of chunks in my soup (unless it is a creamed soup of course!) so, if you want your soup more soupy, reduce the spinach and the cucumbers but leave the spices at their amounts.
- 6 ounces spinach, steam until wilted
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup yogurt
- 2 medium cucumbers
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chop the spinach coarsely and place in a medium bowl that has a lid.
- Add the milk and yogurt to the bowl and stir well.
- Chop the cucumbers (I like to quarter them lengthwise and then slice in 1/2 inch chunks).
- Squeeze in the juice from the lemon. Add the spices and stir well.
- Cover and chill at least 30 minutes before serving.
Yum… I have been wanting to try making some cucumber soup — had another recipe up on my screen for days, but now I’ll try this one. Thanks!
I never knew that about cucumbers! I like your idea for this blog…I’m trying to mostly cook vegan at home these days. Will check in for yummy recipes and info!