Chilled Cucumber Soup

Persian cuisine is relatively new territory for me -- one that I am excited to learn more about. Having an Iranian friend who cooks her native dishes effortlessly and intuitively is a good way to start. However, I can't keep imposing on her for information, so I went on a hunt for a good online resources.

The good peeps at Mage Publishers -- an indie publisher of Persian literature and cultural books -- have generously posted a few recipes from Najmieh Batmanglij's "New Food of Life" and her other cookbooks in the Mage catalogue. (Note: "New Food of Life" was described by some reviewers on Amazon as being the best English cookbook on Persian cuisine, so I promptly ordered it today.)

By coincidence, the first recipe on the Mage page is for a Yogurt and Cucumber Dip/Soup (Mast-o khiar) which is ridiculously similar to a Scandinavian recipe for a chilled cucumber soup that I wanted to try. It just goes to show you that we all live in a tiny global village.

I modified a couple of ingredients to suit the restricted diet I've been following. I also have the good fortune to have successfully grown herbs from seed, including dill, sweet marjoram, basil, and lemon basil. This may not sound like a big deal to you, but I am the grim reaper of plants and the fact that any greenery has lived under my care is a miracle of biblical proportions. Anyway, the fresh dill was a great addition to this dish. [Note to AP: This is an Option #1 recipe.]

Chilled Cucumber Soup
Serves 4

¼ cup shallots, coarsely chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
2-3 cups plain yogurt (depends how thick you like it)
1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
1-2 Tbsp fresh sprigs of dill
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp walnuts, chopped *optional for garnish
½ cup raisins, soaked and drained *optional for garnish

1. In a large bowl, combine the shallots, cucumber, yogurt and herbs.
2. Puree the mixture until relatively smooth. (Note: the cucumber flesh will give it a porridge-like texture, which is what you should be aiming for.)
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with walnuts or raisins if desired.

Note: the mint will turn black if not eaten right away. This doesn't impact the flavor too badly, but it isn't as pretty as when it is green. If this is a concern, add chopped mint only at serving time.