Cold Cucumber Dill Soup

I can't believe summer is here! Well, I guess it's not officially summer until June 21, but it's June, nonetheless. I think all of us living on the east coast could not be happier that warm weather is finally here. With that being said, it's time to switch up our cooking routines and start making delicious summer meals.

I thought that making a cold soup would be a great way to kick off the summer. Cold soups are extremely easy to make and super nutritious. You can make them with pretty much any vegetable you want. I decided to use cucumber in this recipe because it's light and refreshing and provides a ton of amazing health benefits.

My grandmother has a cold cucumber soup recipe that's similar to this one but hers uses buttermilk instead of Greek yogurt. I thought it'd be fun to experiment with Greek yogurt to bump up the protein level. I also used a lot of fresh dill in this soup because it adds great flavor and texture. If you don't like dill, try experimenting with another herb that you do enjoy. 

Cucumbers are a great source of Vitamin B which helps fuel the body with energy. Cucumbers are 95% water which helps hydrate the body and eliminate toxins. They also contain silica which helps straighten connecting tissue in the body to promote joint health. Lastly, cucumbers contain 3 different lingans which are said to reduce the risk of obtaining breast, uterine, ovarian and prostate cancer.

Ingredients:

1 large English cucumber- roughly chopped

1.5 cups fat-free Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove- peeled

1/2 cup chopped dill

1 lemon or lime zested and juiced

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients (except salt/pepper) to the blender 

2) Blend until pureed

3) Add salt and pepper to taste and blend to combine

4) Optional- drizzle with flavored oil such as truffle oil