Cold German Soup: A Creamy Cucumber-Dill Recipe for Summer

This German-style cold cucumber soup, often called kalte Gurkensuppe, blends fresh cucumber with yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, and herbs. It is served chilled, so the cucumber stays crisp and refreshing while the dairy gives the soup enough body to make a satisfying first course or light lunch. Family and regional versions vary; this one is smooth with a little diced cucumber for texture.

Ingredients

2 large English cucumbers (about 900 g total), washed; peel in stripes if desired
1 1/2 cups (360 g) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (240 ml) cold buttermilk
1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
1/3 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh dill, plus 1 tablespoon (3 g) for garnish
1/4 cup (12 g) finely chopped fresh chives, plus 1 tablespoon (3 g) for garnish
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove (about 3 g), peeled and finely grated
3/4 teaspoon (4.5 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) granulated sugar, optional, to soften the tang
1 tablespoon (15 ml) mild olive oil, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the cucumbers. If the skins are thick or waxed, peel them; otherwise, peeling in alternating strips gives the soup a pale-green color with a little extra freshness. Cut about one-quarter of one cucumber into small dice and set it aside, covered, for the topping. Roughly chop the rest. Finely chop the dill and chives, keeping the garnish portions separate.
Blend the soup base. Add the chopped cucumber, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, the main portions of dill and chives, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and optional sugar to a blender. Blend until smooth, about 45 to 60 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed. If your blender is small, work in batches and combine everything in a bowl afterward.
Check the consistency and seasoning. The soup should pour easily but still coat a spoon. Blend in a little extra buttermilk, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, if it seems too thick. Taste and add salt, lemon juice, or a pinch of sugar as needed; cucumber and dairy vary in water content and tang. Avoid adding a large amount of liquid at once, since the soup is easier to thin than to thicken.
Cover the bowl or transfer the soup to a lidded container and refrigerate for 2 hours. This chilling time makes the soup properly cold and gives the garlic and herbs time to flavor the dairy. Keep the diced cucumber topping covered and chilled separately so it retains its fresh texture.
Stir the chilled soup well before serving, since a little separation is normal. Taste once more and adjust the salt or lemon if the flavor seems muted straight from the refrigerator. Ladle into four bowls and finish with the reserved diced cucumber, dill, chives, and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Tips

Choose cucumbers with firm, unwrinkled skins and no soft spots. English cucumbers are convenient because they have fewer large seeds, but ordinary slicing cucumbers work too. If their seeds are especially watery, halve them lengthwise and scrape out the soft seed center before chopping.
Use cold ingredients and chill the finished soup in a covered container. Starting cold shortens the time the soup spends warming up while you work, and covering it keeps it from absorbing refrigerator odors. Do not leave the dairy-based soup at room temperature for an extended period.
Adjust the thickness gradually. Yogurt brands differ, and some cucumbers release more water than others. Add buttermilk a spoonful at a time if the soup is too dense; if it is thinner than you want, stir in a little extra yogurt or sour cream rather than trying to fix it with more cucumber.
For a gentler garlic flavor, use half a small clove or omit it. Raw garlic becomes more noticeable as the soup sits, so it is better to begin with less and add a little more before chilling than to make the whole batch sharply garlicky.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this soup well chilled in small bowls or cups as a first course, or make it the center of a light summer meal with rye bread, seeded bread, or warm boiled potatoes served on the side. A crisp green salad and a plate of sliced radishes, tomatoes, or mild cheese make useful accompaniments. The soup is cool and creamy, so a crunchy or chewy side gives the meal more contrast.

For a simple presentation, use chilled bowls and add the diced cucumber just before serving. Dill and chives give the surface color, while a small amount of olive oil adds a gentle, fruity note. Keep the garnish restrained: too much oil can make the dairy taste heavy, and a large mound of herbs can overpower the cucumber. If serving several people, place extra herbs and diced cucumber on the table so everyone can add more to taste.

Variations

For a thicker, tangier version, replace up to half of the yogurt with German quark, a fresh dairy product with a mild tang and a texture between yogurt and soft cheese. Quark can be difficult to find in some grocery stores; use additional plain Greek yogurt instead. The result will be a little denser and less delicate, so thin it with buttermilk until it pours comfortably.

For a lighter flavor, replace the sour cream with an equal amount of plain yogurt. The soup will be less rich and slightly more tart. You can also use mint in place of some of the dill, but keep dill as the dominant herb if you want the familiar cucumber-and-dill character. A few leaves of parsley can add freshness without changing the overall flavor much.

For more texture, skip blending one-quarter of the chopped cucumber and stir it in after blending, along with the reserved diced cucumber. For a completely smooth soup, blend all the cucumber and leave off the diced garnish. A pinch of ground mustard or a little extra lemon is another easy adjustment, but add either sparingly so it does not mask the fresh cucumber.

Storage and Reheating

Keep the soup covered and refrigerate it within 2 hours of preparation. It will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, although its flavor and texture are usually best within the first 2 days. Store the diced cucumber garnish separately and add it just before serving. Stir the soup before ladling; mild separation is normal, and blending or whisking briefly will bring it back together.

This is a cold soup and is not intended to be reheated. Freezing is not recommended because cucumber releases water as it thaws and yogurt or sour cream may turn grainy. If the soup has been left at room temperature for more than 2 hours, discard it rather than returning it to the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as traditional German cucumber soup?

It is a German-style version of kalte Gurkensuppe, or cold cucumber soup, rather than a single fixed national recipe. Dairy choices, herbs, texture, and garnishes differ between cooks and regions. This version uses yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, dill, and chives for a balanced, easy-to-find combination.

Can I make the soup without a blender?

Yes. Grate the cucumber finely, then stir it together with the yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, herbs, lemon, garlic, and seasonings. The soup will have a more textured, almost grated-cucumber consistency rather than a smooth one. A box grater works well, but squeeze out only a little of the grated cucumber liquid so the finished soup does not become too thin.

Can I prepare it the day before serving?

Yes. Make the soup up to a day ahead, cover it, and refrigerate it. The flavors will have time to mingle, though the raw garlic may become stronger overnight. Keep the diced cucumber and herb garnish separate, then stir and taste the soup shortly before serving.

Why does my cold cucumber soup taste bland?

Very cold foods can seem less seasoned than they are at room temperature, and cucumbers themselves have a mild flavor. Stir the soup, then adjust salt and lemon juice a little at a time. A small pinch of sugar can round out excessive tang, but it should not make the soup taste sweet.

Can I use regular cucumbers instead of English cucumbers?

Yes. Use about the same total weight, roughly 900 g (2 lb), and taste before chilling. Regular cucumbers can have thicker skins and larger seeds, so peel them and scrape out the seed centers if they seem tough or watery. Removing those seeds also helps keep the soup from becoming thin.

What can I use instead of buttermilk?

Use an equal amount of plain yogurt thinned with a little cold milk or water until it pours like buttermilk. The soup will be slightly less tangy, so add lemon juice gradually to taste. Avoid using sweetened or flavored yogurt, which would change the savory flavor.

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