Turkish Cucumber and Mint Soup
Photo: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Kevin Crafts
This yogurt-based soup—similar to cacik—is seasoned with Aleppo pepper, a chile grown in Syria and Turkey that has a smoky note.
How to Make It
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.
Ingredients
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