Easy Cold Cucumber Soup Recipe
This Cold Cucumber Soup is a bright, creamy, no-cook summer soup made with crisp cucumbers, Greek yogurt, fresh herbs, lemon, and olive oil. It blends in 5 minutes or less, then chills until cool, refreshing, and ready for warm-weather lunches, brunches, or garden gatherings.
For another refreshing cold soup with deep summer flavor, try my 5-minute Gazpacho Recipe.
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It's a cold soup that is so incredibly bright and flavorful that you'll want to make it all season!
Nourishing, delicious... and easy. Summers are made for soups like this.
Recipe Overview
Cold cucumber soup is a chilled, no-cook summer soup made by blending cucumbers with Greek yogurt, lemon juice, fresh herbs, shallot, garlic, and olive oil. This easy cucumber soup takes about 5 minutes to blend, then chills until creamy, cool, and ready to serve.
Featured Review:
★★★★★
Delicious and great for a hot summer day, also helps utilize the cucumbers from the garden!
-- Mickey (more comments)
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Cucumber Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this cucumber soup. The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cucumbers - I love to use thin-skinned English cucumbers, but Persian cucumbers are delicious, too. Be sure to thinly slice the cucumbers for the soup and reserve some diced cucumbers for garnishing the top of the soup too!
- Greek yogurt - Adds creamy texture and a slightly tangy flavor. Sour cream can be substituted if you prefer.
- Extra-virgin olive oil - For richness and flavor.
- Fresh herbs - This gives a lovely flavor to this simple soup. I like to use fresh dill, parsley, and basil. Save some sprigs of dill to garnish the top.
- Lemon juice - Brightens the flavor and tastes like summer!
- Shallot and Garlic - This adds a delicious richness and depth of flavor.
- Red onion - Use as a garnish for beautiful color and pleasing crunchy texture.
- Salt and pepper - to taste.
How to Make Chilled Cucumber Soup
This 5-minute soup is the easiest you will ever make!
Step 1: Seed and thinly slice the cucumbers and shallots. It's okay if there are a few bigger chunks.
Step 2: Add the sliced cucumbers, yogurt, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight to thicken.
Kitchen Tools
- Blender or Food Processor
- Vegetable knife for chopping shallots and cucumbers
- Small soup bowls or glasses to serve
How to Remove Cucumber Seeds
Lay the cucumber on a cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise, and then each half lengthwise. You are quartering the cucumbers. Then, with a spoon or knife, gently run down each quarter's edge to remove the seeds. Keep as much cucumber flesh as possible.
How to Serve
Serve the chilled soup in small bowls or small glasses. Garnish with diced cucumbers, finely chopped red onion, and sprigs of fresh dill. Finally, drizzle with a bit of olive oil for flavor and creaminess.
More Serving Ideas
On summer afternoons or evenings, this soup is perfect as a starter, for lunch, with a summer afternoon tea in the garden, or with a light dinner on the patio.
It's also perfect for brunch, with quiche like this easy salmon quiche, salads, or pasta. Or add beautiful, crusty bread, and it's a meal all on its own.
- Grilled Meats & Seafood: Consider pairing the soup with grilled steak, like this grilled steak and mushrooms, shrimp, salmon, or grilled teriyaki chicken skewers.
- Vegetables: This soup is refreshing with meals like stuffed zucchini boats or garden vegetable pasta.
Variations
Here are some fun twists:
- Herbs: Add fresh mint or chives alongside dill and parsley for a brighter profile.
- Spice: Stir in a pinch of cumin or a diced jalapeño for warmth and depth-perfectly balanced by the cooling cucumber.
- Fruity note: Replace part of the cucumber with honeydew melon or avocado for creaminess and a subtle sweetness.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This soup is ideal for make-ahead prep. After blending, allow it to chill for at least 4 hours-or overnight for a deeper flavor. Stored in an airtight container, it'll stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just stir before serving, and if it's thickened too much, thin it with a splash of cold water or extra olive oil.
Absolutely! This recipe uses Greek yogurt for its rich tang and creamy texture, but sour cream works fine too. For dairy-free versions, try full-fat coconut yogurt or a silken tofu blend to maintain creaminess and body. Keep in mind that flavor may shift slightly, so taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Peeling: Thin-skinned English or Persian cucumbers can be left unpeeled for color and nutrients. If using larger garden cucumbers with tougher skins, peeling is recommended.
Seeding: Removing seeds produces a smoother soup and reduces extra liquid. But if seeds are small and tender, you can leave them for convenience-just expect a slightly thinner texture.
5 Minute Cold Cucumber Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large European cucumbers 2 ¼ lbs, seeded and chopped
- 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1 small shallot roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh dill
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons loosely packed basil leaves
- ¼ cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ red onion finely chopped
Instructions
- Seed and roughly chop the cucumber and shallot. Reserve a bit of cucumber for garnishing the soup, this you will finely chop.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, dill, parsley, basil, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper just before serving. Garnish each serving with the finely chopped cucumbers, red onion, fresh dill sprig, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Video
Notes
- Yield and serving size: This recipe makes about 5 cups of soup. Serve in small 3-ounce glasses for an appetizer, tea party, or tasting portion, or in 6-ounce glasses or small bowls for a larger starter. It can be sipped from small glasses, but I like to offer small spoons as well.
- Peeling and seeding cucumbers: Thin-skinned English or Persian cucumbers usually do not need to be peeled. If using larger garden cucumbers with thicker skins or large seeds, peel and seed them first for the smoothest soup.
- Make ahead: This soup is best when chilled before serving, which gives the flavors time to blend. Refrigerate until ready to serve and stir well before pouring into bowls or glasses.
- Serving ideas: Serve in small glasses for an appetizer or starter, or in bowls for a light lunch. Garnish with fresh dill, finely diced cucumber, red onion, or a drizzle of olive oil.
- Texture: For the smoothest soup, blend until creamy. If you prefer a little texture, reserve some finely diced cucumber to stir in after blending.
- Flavor: Taste before serving and adjust with additional lemon juice, salt, or dill as needed. Chilled soups often need a final seasoning adjustment just before serving.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Stir before serving.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
More Refreshing Summer Recipes to Try
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They were a hit with my guests....they looked beautiful sitting on the plate to start the tea party festivities. Delightful!
I’m so glad this cucumber soup was a delightful addition to your tea party, Catherine! I made this recipe as part of a tea this weekend too. Thank you for taking the time to share how much your guests enjoyed it.
Skin on or off? We grow our own so organic.
Hi Lin, if the skin is tender then its fine to leave it on, if it's on the thicker side, I might remove it. For English or Persian cucumbers, I always leave the skin on!
Serving size?
Hi Amy, the recipe yields about 5 cups. The glasses I use (those pictured) are 6 ounces each.
Delicious! I didn't put in the basil which probably would have made it even better! Oh, and I find there's no need to seed most English cucumbers. Omitting this step makes the soup even easier. Thanks.
Hi Tania! I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup. It's one of my favorites, especially on warm days. Thank you so much for trying it and letting me know how it worked for you!
Delicious and great for a hot summer day also helps utilize the cucumbers from the garden!
Hi, Mickey! Thank you so much for trying the cucumber soup! I love it, too, for all of those reasons!
Hi Stephanie! I'm wondering how to serve this delicious cucumber soup? I purchased 3 ounce shot glasses. I Just read yours were 6 ounces. What is your opinion? Could I use a pitcher for refills, if needed? My thought was to sip the soup, or is is thicker than I imagined? How did you serve yours? With a spoon as an option? My Tea Party is in about 2 weeks. So anxious to see their reaction. I KNOW they will love it. Thank you for such delicious recipes and inspiration! I will let you know how it turns out.
Hi Colleen, thank you for your patience! I had an all-day meeting and then took my son to the airport, but I wanted to get back you this evening. The 3-ounce shot glasses will be fine, especially for a tea. I love the 6-ounce glasses for a larger serving, especially if the menu is paired back. For serving in the 6-ounce glasses, I often have a spoon available, but most of the guests prefer to sip it, even with the garnishes. This soup is so perfect for serving on warm days, it's refreshing and SO easy. I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you-- thank you for including it your tea party menu!