Turkish · soup

Turkish Cucumber And Mint Soup

Turkish Cucumber And Mint Soup reads citrus 6.4, sourness 6.2 and herbaceous 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Turkish soup, about 15 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.2 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 3.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.4 · Sourness 6.2 · Herbaceous 5.1 · Allium 3.8 · Salinity 3.6 · Richness 3.2 · Funk & Ferment 3.1 · Warm Spice 1.9 · Bitterness 1.8 · Fruity 1.8 · Floral 1.6 · Umami 1.5 · Sweetness 1.3 · Heat 1.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Nutty 1.0

What's in it (10)

• 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

Time & effort: about 15 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 33.2 kcal, 2.5 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 4.6 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (5 steps)

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.
2. Nest bowl in ice water; stir often until cold, about 15 minutes.
3. Stir chopped mint and dill into soup just before serving. Sprinkle bowls with more Aleppo pepper, if you like, and mint leaves.
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).
5. Note: Nutritional analysis is per 1-cup serving.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Grilled Za'atar Chicken Thighs — Middle Eastern
• Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Mint Yogurt — Greek
• Shafut (Flatbread Soaked in Herbed Buttermilk) — Yemeni
• Chicken Gyro Flatbreads with Tzatziki — Greek
• Salata Baladi (Egyptian Country Salad) — Egyptian

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.