Cold cucumber soup transforms overgrown veggies into summer delight

Cold cucumber soup is perfect for hot weather. With the addition of potatoes and eggs, it becomes a filling meal. You don’t need much: cucumbers pair perfectly with fresh garlic and dill. Add some kefir, salt, and pepper. It sounds simple because it is simple. See for yourself and try this recipe.

Overgrown cucumbers are larger than others, with noticeable changes in shape, colour, and texture, making them unsuitable for pickling or fermenting in most cases. Their skin is tough, fibrous, often bitter, and the flesh contains many seeds. However, these are not reasons to throw away overgrown vegetables. You can still make delicious dishes from them, such as cold cucumber soup.

In the case of young cucumbers, it's generally not recommended to peel them. With overgrown cucumbers, this may be necessary. However, if your cucumbers, specifically their skin, haven’t developed a bitter taste yet, you don’t need to peel them before preparing the cold soup.

Ingredients:

• 4 overgrown field cucumbers,
• 3 cloves of garlic,
• a bunch of dill,
• 1 litre (4 cups) of natural yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir,
• salt and freshly ground black pepper,
• optional: sugar and lemon juice to taste.

TO SERVE

      
• whole hard-boiled eggs,
• boiled new potatoes with dill.

Preparation:

                  
1. Wash and peel the cucumbers (if you're not peeling them, make sure to scrub them well beforehand).
2. Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater. Peel the garlic and press it through a garlic press, and chop the dill. Mix the ingredients and pour in the kefir.
3. Season the cold cucumber soup. Add salt and pepper. Optionally, you can season it with a bit of sugar and lemon juice.
4. Place the cold soup in the fridge so it’s well-chilled.
5. Serve with cooked eggs and boiled potatoes.