Chilled cucumber and yogurt soup with prawns and dill

Name: Chilled cucumber and yogurt soup with prawns and dill
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 4 medium cucumbers, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped; 3 tsp salt flakes; 450g natural yogurt; 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped; 50ml olive oil; 10g dill, roughly chopped; Finely grated zest ½ lemon; Bread and butter to serve; For the pickled cucumber; 1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and finely diced; ½ tsp salt flakes; 50ml rice vinegar; 2 tbsp caster sugar; For the prawns; 200g cooked Atlantic prawns; Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon; ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional); 20g dill, roughly chopped; 100ml extra-virgin olive oil

Portion size: Serves 6
Prep time 25 min, plus salting and at least 3 hours chilling. Cook time 5 min
Difficulty: easy

Rosie Mackean

Chef and food writer

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Rosie Mackean’s chilled cucumber and yogurt soup is a simple yet elegant summer starter. Serve with prawns and pickled cucumber.

Why it’s so good: “Cucumber is a comforting flavour for me, and I love that this soup is refreshing and soothing,” says Rosie. It’s also super easy to make ahead and keep in the fridge until needed. I serve it with pickled cucumber and dressed prawns – it’s giving Greek and Scandi vibes – and it’s utterly delicious.
Make ahead: You can make and chill both the soup and the pickled cucumber the day before, then prepare the prawns and dressing on the day.

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Ingredients

4 medium cucumbers, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
3 tsp salt flakes
450g natural yogurt
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
50ml olive oil
10g dill, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest ½ lemon
Bread and butter to serve

For the pickled cucumber

1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and finely diced
½ tsp salt flakes
50ml rice vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar

For the prawns

200g cooked Atlantic prawns
Finely grated zest and juice ½ lemon
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
20g dill, roughly chopped
100ml extra-virgin olive oil

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Method

Put the 4 roughly chopped cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle over the salt. Toss, then leave to sit for 30-60 minutes to draw out excess moisture and intensify the cucumber flavour.
Pat the cucumber dry with kitchen paper, then put it all in a blender with the yogurt, garlic, olive oil, dill and lemon zest. Whizz together until completely smooth, then season to taste (it may need a pinch more salt). Pour into a container and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours but ideally overnight.
For the pickled cucumber, put the finely diced cucumber in a colander and add the salt, then set aside. Meanwhile, put the vinegar, sugar and 50ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the salted cucumber to a container and pour the still hot pickling liquid over the top. Leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
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Stir the prawns, lemon zest and juice, chilli (if using), dill, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper together.
To serve, ladle the chilled soup into bowls. Top with the pickled cucumber and dressed prawns, along with any delicious oil they sit in. Serve with crusty buttered bread.