Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup

I planned to share a recipe for a savory tart today but with the heat wave we experience in DC right now I could not even think about making anything in an oven, as outside it feels like being in an oven. Instead, I decided to do something quite opposite: a cold soup straight from a refrigerator.

It is extremely easy, comparing, for example, to the much more labor intensive Polish cold beet soup, but also very refreshing on a day as today and can be made in no time, like gazpacho. There are many versions of yogurt and cucumber soup but I like this particular one because with the addition of sparkling water it becomes even lighter and more refreshing than any other I tried.

In general, this soup is made from cucumbers but I also like to add some red radish to make it more crunchy. Not to much, just for extra texture. I also like to season it with dill, which, in Polish cuisine, is often used to accompany cucumber dishes.

So, if where you are is as hot as where I am, you could use this cucumber soup to cool down.

Cold Cucumber and Yogurt Soup
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
4-5 very fresh Kirby cucumbers, or one English cucumber,
6 radishes, cut in half and finely sliced,
3 cups low fat (2 percent) Greek yogurt,
1 cup sparkling water,
2-3 garlic cloves, minced,
juice from half a lemon,
2 tbsp fresh, chopped dill,
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
sea salt and freshly grated pepper to taste,

Preparation:
1. Place yogurt in a large bowl. Add sparkling water and, using a whisker, beat until smooth.
2. Peel of cucumbers. You can chop them finely or in a blender, or grate on a small whole grater. Add cucumbers to the yogurt.
3. Add juice, garlic and chopped dill to the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper and let it chill for at least 2 hours.
4. Divide soup between 4 or 6 small bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and decorate with radish.
Serve and enjoy.