Cold Cucumber Soup — a creamy, refreshing blend of cucumber and yogurt with garlic, mint, and lemon, served ice-cold for a soothing suhoor opener.
Cold cucumber soup is one of the refreshing summer dishes of the Levant and Egypt.
It resembles Spanish gazpacho with an Arab twist. At hot-summer suhoor it serves as a refreshing opener that brings down the heat and is easy to digest.
Blend the cucumber in a food processor until smooth.
Add the yogurt, garlic, mint, parsley, olive oil, and lemon. Blend once more.
Add the ice cubes, salt, and pepper. Blend for a few seconds. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Pour into dishes and garnish with cucumber slices and drops of olive oil.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Serve cold.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Cold Cucumber Soup, and how to fix them:
Add cold water or ice. Thick yogurt needs thinning.
Reduce the garlic by half. Choose fresh seedless cucumbers.
Double the fresh mint and add a pinch of dried mint.
Thin it with an extra spoonful of yogurt. Reduce the salt next time.
Two days in an airtight container.
Not suitable. Yogurt separates.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yogurt | Laban rayeb | 1:1 | Lighter flavor. |
| Cucumber | English cucumber | 1:1 | Thinner skin. |
| Fresh mint | Dried mint | Half the amount | Concentrated flavor. |
| Ingredient | 4 people | 8 people | 12 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | 500 g | 1000 g | 1500 g |
| Yogurt | 500 g | 1000 g | 1500 g |
| Mint | 20 g | 40 g | 60 g |
| Olive oil | 50 ml | 100 ml | 150 ml |
Serve it very cold. Chill it for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with thin cucumber slices. Pair with toasted bread for dipping.
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