Cold Cucumber Soup

This easy and quick cold cucumber soup is a great no-cook recipe for any hot day.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated February 17, 2025
Elise Bauer
Cucumber Soup

Every year I plant cucumbers in my garden. And every year, my one plant takes over the bed (climbing over trellises put in place for other vegetables) and showers me with a daily supply of lovely cucumbers.

The Best Way To Use Garden Cucumbers

This is all well and good, as long as I remember to pick them daily. As careful as I can be, hunting for cucumbers in the tangle of leaves and vines, I do miss them occasionally, only to discover a monster cuke hiding perfectly camouflaged under a leaf!

Like zucchini, left to their own devices, cucumbers will grow to ginormous proportions, resulting in a thick-skinned, seedy bat.

What to do with extra large cucumbers?

Make chilled cucumber soup!

Even if you don't have a garden (or the problem of monster cukes), cucumber soup is a great way to put cucumbers to good use.

How To Make an Easy Cucumber Soup

This cold cucumber soup is incredibly easy to make, taking no more than 10 minutes. All you have to do is peel and seed the cucumbers, and pulse them in a blender with a little chopped onion, buttermilk, sour cream, olive oil, dill, salt, and pepper.

If you don't have buttermilk or sour cream, you can sub with plain yogurt.

It's a chilled soup that you can make ahead and eat for days. Perfect for hot summer days.

Many thanks to my friend Sue Robison who gave me the bones of this recipe to play with. Enjoy!

A bowl of cold cucumber soup, ready to serve and eat.

No Blender? No Problem

If you don't have a blender, an immersion blender works for this soup. Instead of putting the ingredients in a traditional blender in Step 2, add them all to a large bowl and use the immersion blender to blend all the ingredients together until smooth. It may take a little longer, but you'll end up with the same result.

How To Store Chilled Cucumber Soup

Refrigerate this soup, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

We don't recommend freezing this soup. The consistency will not be the same when thawed.

More Cold Soup Recipes to Try This Summer

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Cold Cucumber Soup

Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Servings 3 to 4 servings

If you don't have buttermilk or sour cream, feel free to substitute with plain yogurt.

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Ingredients

  • 2 large cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped onion (white, red, or green)

  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • Pinch black pepper

Method

  1. Prep the cucumbers, onion, and dill:

    Peel, seed, and roughly chop the cucumbers. Chop the onion and dill.

  2. Blend:

    Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until completely smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

    At this point you can make ahead and chill.

  3. Chill the soup:

    Chill in a container in the refrigerator until cold.

  4. Serve:

    Pour into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a feather of dill.

    Did you love this recipe? Let us know with a rating and review!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
96 Calories
7g Fat
8g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 96
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 223mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 5mg 25%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 285mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.