Persian Cold Cucumber Summer Soup

Name: Persian Cold Cucumber Summer Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 Japanese or Persian cucumber; 1 cup of Greek yogurt; 15g of dill; 10g of chives; 15g of peppermint; 2 stalks of spring onion; 1 tbsp of dried basil - You can use the fresh one too; 1 cup of cold water; 1 cup of ice cubes; 1 tsp of salt; 1/2 tsp of pepper; 2 tbsp of raisins - optional; 6 stalks of rosebuds; Crouton or toasted Persian flat bread

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By Nudra

Created on 3 June 2023
Updated on 23 April 2024

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This Persian cold cucumber soup is all you need for hot summer days to keep your body cool. The soup base is made with Greek yogurt, which makes it a great source of probiotics, and refreshing fresh herbs such as peppermint. Garnished with Persian signature ingredients - dried rosebud petals, this poetic herb infuses an incredible aroma and gives tons of benefits to your body.

This Persian Cold Cucumber Summer Soup is very easy to make and takes only 10 minutes to prepare. There is no cooking required, you can easily chop and whisk everything in a bowl to get this refreshing and nutritious soup.

Make Persian cold cucumber soup with me!

My first time in Iran around five years ago brought me to this herb-infused cold cucumber soup called Ab Doogh Khiar in Farsi. I remember sipping this Persian cold cucumber soup for the first time in my husband’s house, made by his mother, surprised me in many ways.

It was during a scorching hot summer. I, who grew up with hot and spicy soup, never thought a cold soup could be that interesting. It feels like you just got into a cold shower after being under the hot sun, but the feeling is inside your body. That summer, whenever my Persian mother-in-law had a leftover of yogurt, she would make this soup to clean the yogurt tube.

And since then, it has become one of my dishes to make with yogurt whenever I buy a big tube of Greek yogurt. Since this food is nostalgic to my husband, I’m happy to be carrying this tradition that brings him close to home into our house.

This simple recipe is what me and my husband always stick with as it requires ingredients that are easily accessible and staple in our house.

About this Persian cucumber soup

Cold Cucumber soup is shared by many countries, from Europe to some Mediterranean countries, The Middle East, and Asia. They all come with different recipes with ingredients that are specific to their foods.

This Persian Cucumber Soup inspired by my mother-in-law, combines herbs that are commonly used in Persian pantries, such as mint leaves, dills, chives, walnuts, raisins, and rosebuds alongside other ingredients.

In this recipe, I use Greek yogurt to benefit from the high protein. And for the bread, since I only eat sourdough bread, I would either make croutons from the stock I have in the pantry or I buy sourdough croutons that I can later use in my salad.

Other ingredients, notes and variation

Herbs

I highly suggest using fresh herbs in making this cucumber soup. Fresh herbs, especially peppermint, basil and chive, give the most flavor and freshness. You want to get the garden-fresh and revitalizing feeling in every sip.

Peppermint makes the soup minty and cooling, the menthol helps with breathing plus makes your mouth smell good. Basil, is a herb you want to take advantage of if you are into Mediterranean diet. This herb brings out a fresh, tangy aroma, especially when mixed with the next herb – rosebud.

Persian rose buds.

I first thought the rosebud was only a decorative part (since my mother-in-law likes to decorate her food), but it’s a part of the Persian ingredients that make food aromatic.

Rose is a signature of Persian identity, mentioned a lot in their literature. In the poetry, the rose symbolizes love, perfection, and beauty. It has also been a native plant for thousands of years. Rose water was used as a medicine in ancient times in Persia.

It has anti-bacterial, anti-aging, and anti-oxidant properties according to this article. Traditionally, it is believed to have a calming effect. It was then adopted by the ancient Greeks to incorporate rose water and oil as part of their life.

Along with dill and spring onion in this recipe, some people include other herbs such as leek, tarragon, catnip, oregano, cinnamon basil, oregano, and other herbs. Feel free to add any of them if you like.

Cucumber

Japanese or Persian cucumber is the best choice for this recipe. It has a crunchy texture and fewer seeds. Keep the skin if you want to benefit from the fiber. Cut them into small dices like the photo below.

Greek yogurt

Another ancient food that is an excellent source of calcium, probiotics with nutritions and vitamins, Yogurt, which is the main base of this soup. Although some people use different types of yogurt, kefir, sour cream, or yogurt drink, I choose the highest quality of yogurt – Greek yogurt and I recommend you to use the same. This is because Greek yogurt is;

Less in sugar,
Lower lactose content according to this article in Healthline.
Higher in protein
Lower in carb

But if you are in Iran, I suggest you try this recipe with an Iranian yogurt drink. It is all-natural with a hint of fizziness, giving you a mojito vibe.

Raisin

Raisin is optional, if you like a hint of sweetness in your cold soup like me, you can keep it. Other than raisins, you can also use different types of dried fruits. Some people prefer to have walnuts in it.

This probiotic cucumber soup is cooling for your body make it a great dish during hot weather. This soup not only gives many health benefits but the combination of fresh herbs, crunchy cucumbers with rose petals combines different aromas that could increase your appetite on the spot.

💡 Tips: Keep it in the fridge with a cover for not more than 4 days. Trust me on this, it tastes better on the second and third days.