Chilled Cucumber Turmeric Soup
Servings: 5
Ingredients
- 2 lb Persian cucumbers, divided
- 1 onion, halved
- 8 garlic cloves, whole with peels intact
- 2 springs fresh dill
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 8 cups water
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
- plain yogurt, to top
- fresh dill, chopped, for topping
- fresh mint, chopped
Instructions
- Half one pound of cucumbers lengthwise (hot dog style).
- In a large stock pot, place the halved cucumbers, onion, garlic, dill sprigs, turmeric, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Once the broth is reduced and concentrated in flavor, strain the cucumber broth into a sealable container. Stir in the vinegar and cover. Place into the fridge to chill, at least 8 hours.
- One hour before serving, dice the additional one pound of cucumbers. Place the cucumbers into a bowl and top with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to coat and chill in the fridge for one hour.
- Place a kitchen towel on a cutting board. With a slotted spoon, remove the cucumbers from the fridge and place in one layer on the towel. Pat the cucumbers dry.
- Add the desired amount of cucumbers into cold serving bowls. Place any remaining cucumbers back into the fridge to be used at a later time (they will remain crunchy for a day or two if properly salted and patted dry). Pour the cold cucumber broth over the cucumbers. Top each bowl with a dollop of yogurt and fresh dill and mint. Serve immediately, salt to taste.