How to turn overgrown cucumbers into a refreshing summer soup

Cucumber cold soup is perfect for hot weather, and adding potatoes and eggs will fill everyone at the table. You don’t need much: cucumbers go perfectly with fresh garlic and dill. Add some kefir, salt, and pepper. It sounds simple because it is simple. See for yourself and try this recipe.

Overgrown cucumbers are larger than others, with noticeable changes in shape, color, and texture, making them unsuitable for pickling or fermenting in most cases. Their skin is tough, fibrous, often bitter, and the flesh contains a lot of seeds. However, these are not reasons to throw away overgrown vegetables. You can still make delicious dishes from them, such as cucumber cold soup.

In the case of young cucumbers, it's generally not recommended to peel them. With overgrown cucumbers, this may be necessary. However, if your cucumbers, specifically their skin, haven’t developed a bitter taste yet, you don’t need to peel them before preparing the cold soup.

Ingredients:

• 4 overgrown field cucumbers
• 3 cloves of garlic
• a bunch of dill
• 1 quart of natural yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• optional: sugar and lemon juice to taste

To Serve:

• whole hard-boiled eggs
• boiled young potatoes with dill

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel the cucumbers (if you're not peeling them, scrub them well beforehand).
2. Grate the cucumbers on a coarse grater. Peel the garlic and press it through a garlic press. Chop the dill. Mix the ingredients and pour in the kefir.
3. Season the cucumber cold soup. Add salt and pepper. Optionally, you can season it with some sugar and lemon juice.
4. Place the cold soup in the fridge so it’s well-chilled.
5. Serve with cooked eggs and boiled potatoes.