This Lebanese chilled cucumber soup is made with tangy yogurt seasoned with fresh lemon juice, mint and garlic then finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
As you’ve probably noticed, we eat a lot of yogurt in our house every week. My kids love it, I love it and my husband loves it so I was beyond excited when my dear friends at the American Dairy Association asked me to participate in their Dairy Fuel for Back-to-School Recipe Exchange.
With two growing boys, children’s nutrition is very much on of mind these days so I thought I would share a few fun facts:
- Milk is the No. 1 food source of calcium, vitamin D and potassium in children’s diets.
- Dairy foods are a tasty, convenient and cost-effective way to power up with protein throughout the day. On average, one serving of milk, cheese or yogurt provides eight grams of high quality protein.
- Kids who drink milk when they are young are more likely to drink milk as adults. Lifelong milk drinking is linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart and less chance of developing diabetes.
- By enjoying 3 servings of low fat or fat-free milk, yogurt or cheese every day as part of an overall healthy diet, families, especially children and teens in their peak bone-building years, can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
This Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup was inspired by my toddler’s favorite Lebanese dish of all time: Cucumber Laban. A recipe from my childhood, I still remember my Aunt Paula bringing it over to my mom’s house and the intoxicating aromas of fresh garlic and tons of mint. I craved it during both pregnancies and I am convinced that is why my boys love it to this day.
Ready in just 5 minutes, this soup is the ideal busy weeknight side dish. We love serving it with Slow Cooked Lebanese Green Beans and Beef or Beef Kafta Patties. You can eat it room temperature right when you make it or prepare it earlier in the day and chill until dinnertime. Not only is it protein-packed but this savory recipe is a great way to sneak in that third serving of dairy at the end of the day.
Your spoon is waiting.
Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup
Ingredients
- 32 ounces plain low fat yogurt
- 1 medium cucumber peeled and grated reserving a bit for garnish
- 1 juice of lemon
- 3 tablespoons dried mint
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt with grated cucumber, lemon juice, dried mint, grated garlic and salt.
- Serve immediately or chill soup for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Divide between six bowls and top with reserved cucumber and drizzle each bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Maxine Moerman
Can I use fresh mint in this recipe? How much do I use?
Liz DellaCroce
I would suggest dried!