Cold Yogurt Soup (Abdoogh Khiar)
This revitalizing soup, crafted with ingredients known for their cooling properties and served chilled, makes for an ideal, light lunch during warm days. I savor it throughout the summer, and it never fails to enhance my post-meal nap experience. Prepare the yogurt mixture in advance, storing it in the fridge, and simply ladle out a bowl whenever you desire. While not obligatory, the addition of rose petals adds a touch of beauty and a distinctly Persian flair. You can typically locate food-safe dried rose petals in Middle Eastern supermarkets.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greek-style yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons crushed dried mint
- 2 cups cold water, or more as needed
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons ground dried Persian rose petals (Optional)
- ice cubes
- 2 pita bread rounds, or to taste
Instructions
- Puree yogurt, salt, and dried mint in a blender with enough of the water to create a smooth, thin soup. It will thicken some when you add the bread.
- Divide the cucumbers, raisins, walnuts, and herbs among four bowls.
- Pour one-fourth of the yogurt mixture into each bowl.
- Top with rose petals and add a few ice cubes to each bowl.
- Tear bread into small pieces and add some to each bowl. Let bread soak 5 to 7 minutes before serving. Serve cold.
Notes
- Any seedless cucumber will do.
- Use 1 cup of any fresh green herbs you like, such as mint, parsley, dill, and basil.
- Substitute pita with any flatbread you prefer.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 793mgPotassium: 404mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2mg
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