Savory kefir recipes
Cold Cucumber Kefir Soup
Cucumber, dill and cold kefir make a light soup without turning on the stove. Keep the cucumber juice for this recipe: it loosens the kefir into soup rather than a thick dip.
Make it
Method
- Wash the cucumber, dill and scallion. Trim and grate the cucumber, keeping its juice. Finely slice the scallion so no long fibres wrap around the blender blades.
- Blend the kefir, salt, vegetables, and seasonings until as smooth as you want the soup.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes. If the cold soup has become too thick, blend in cold water one tablespoon at a time.
- Taste once cold, adjust the salt or acidity, and serve in chilled bowls.
The cucumber supplies the water
Start without extra water. Blend and chill first, then loosen only if needed. Prefer something that stays on a piece of bread? Tzatziki uses squeezed cucumber and strained kefir for the opposite result.
Keep the soup cold
Cover, refrigerate at 4°C or below and use within two days, following any earlier limit on the kefir or cooked vegetables. Bring out only what you are serving.
A soup without dairy
Unsweetened soy kefir can make a dairy-free cold soup. Taste after chilling because the base changes both flavor and thickness.
Adjust the chilled soup
Too thick after chilling? Blend in cold water one tablespoon at a time. Too thin? Add more of the main vegetable, not more salt.