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Turkish Cucumber and Mint Soup





Yields
Serves 5



Total Time
30 mins

This yogurt-based soup—similar to cacik—is seasoned with Aleppo pepper, a chile grown in Syria and Turkey that has a smoky note.

Turkish Cucumber and Mint Soup




Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Kevin Crafts
 2 pounds (2 to 3) English cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
 2 garlic cloves, minced
 1/4 cup lemon juice
 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
 3 containers (7 to 8 oz. each) plain low-fat Greek yogurt
  About 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper* or coarsely ground dried California chile
 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, plus small whole leaves
 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Step 1
1

Whirl cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, oil, and 1 container yogurt in a blender until smooth. Pour into a stainless steel bowl and whisk in remaining yogurt, 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper, the salt, and black pepper.

Step 2
2

Nest bowl in ice water; stir often until cold, about 15 minutes.

Step 3
3

Stir chopped mint and dill into soup just before serving. Sprinkle bowls with more Aleppo pepper, if you like, and mint leaves.

Step 4
4

*Buy Aleppo pepper from grocery stores or worldspice.com, or buy dried California chiles in Latino markets (pulse in a food processor to grind coarsely).

Step 5
5

Note: Nutritional analysis is per 1-cup serving.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0

Amount Per Serving
Calories 151Calories from Fat 33
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5.8g9%

Saturated Fat 0.8g4%
Cholesterol 0.0mg0%
Sodium 435mg19%
Total Carbohydrate 14g5%

Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Protein 12g24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.