Mother Would Know

Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup

This simple chilled soup comes together in minutes and is the perfect light meal or first course in warm weather.

Prep Time

20minutes

Prep Time

20minutes

Ingredients

15ounce cannellini beans(1 can) rinsed or 8 ounces/1 cup dried beans cooked and rinsed, white
2 English cucumberspeeled, centers scooped out, & roughly chopped, long, 1 – 1¼ pound
1/4teaspoon minced garlicabout 2 small cloves
1 lemonzested and juiced
1/2cup tightly packed fresh mint leaveswashed and roughly chopped
1cup “regular”i.e. not Greek, yogurt (I used whole milk)
1/2teaspoon kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepperplus more after chilling if you so desire (go light on the salt if you are adding olive slivers)
2 Ice cubes
1/4cup Optional garnishes – diced cucumbershelled pistachio nuts, chopped and roasted, black or green olive slivers, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Puree the beans, garlic, lemon zest and juice, mint and yogurt in batches, until all of those ingredients are fully combined. The mixture should be medium-thick, close to pancake batter in consistency. If the soup is not smooth enough for your taste, put several ladles of it (or all) through a strainer.
Add the salt and pepper and the ice cubes. Stir the soup, cover it and chill for at least one hour. Serve with the garnishes.