Cucumber and Dill Chilled Yogurt Soup Recipe
Cucumber and dill chilled yogurt soup is a light, refreshing cold soup, perfect for hot summer days. In Polish homes it often appears as a quick lunch when nobody feels like standing over a hot pot. It’s a bit like Greek tzatziki, but thinner and served in a bowl like soup.
This soup is incredibly quick to make, cooling and hydrating, with the classic combination of cucumber, dill and yogurt. It’s lighter than many traditional cold soups, yet still satisfying enough to serve as a full meal on hot days.
Chef's tips
Adjust the thickness by adding more or less buttermilk or kefir – it should be drinkable from a spoon but not watery. Taste and correct the acidity at the end; the flavour should be clearly tangy and refreshing. If your cucumbers are very watery, squeeze them a bit more and chill the soup longer so it doesn’t become bland.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls, well chilled, with a drizzle of good olive oil on top and extra chopped herbs. It pairs beautifully with simply boiled new potatoes, rye bread or a slice of crusty sourdough.
Ingredients
- field or greenhouse cucumbers - 400 g
- yogurt preferably thick - 500 ml
- buttermilk or kefir - 300 ml
- fresh dill chopped - 3 tablespoons
- chives chopped - 2 tablespoons
- garlic small - 1 clove
- lemon juice or apple cider vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Preparation
- Wash the cucumbers. If they have thick skin or are greenhouse cucumbers, you can peel them. Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater.
- Transfer the grated cucumbers to a sieve set over a bowl. Gently squeeze out excess juice with your hand or a spoon, but don’t press them completely dry – a little juice will add flavour.
- Pour the yogurt and buttermilk or kefir into a large bowl. Mix with a whisk or spoon until you get a smooth, slightly thin base.
- Add the grated cucumbers, chopped dill and chives.
- Peel the garlic and chop it very finely or press it through a garlic press. Add to the bowl.
- Season the chilled soup with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
- Place the soup in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill well and allow the flavours to meld.
- Serve well chilled, ideally with boiled new potatoes or a slice of bread.
Storage
Chłodnik przechowuj w lodówce, przykryty, do 2 dni. Przed podaniem zamieszaj, bo ogórki mogą puścić dodatkowy sok.
