Rosey Cucumber Soup

This chilled cucumber soup gets its gorgeous pink color from pickled beets, and that tangy beet brine does double duty as both the tint and a flavor booster you can add to taste.

Everything goes into the blender raw: peeled cucumbers, drained pickled beets, onion, parsley, chicken broth, and sour cream. Two quick batches and you have a silky, no-cook soup that improves the longer it sits in the fridge. A few hours is good. Overnight is better. The flavors meld and mellow, and that rosy color deepens.

The reserved beet juice is your seasoning secret weapon. Start with a splash and taste. It adds sweetness, acidity, and color all at once, so you can dial the soup exactly where you want it.

Pro Tips

• Seed the cucumbers thoroughly. Extra water from the seeds will thin the soup out and dilute the flavor.
• Blend in batches, not all at once. Overfilling the blender with liquid leads to leaks and an uneven texture.
• Chill your serving bowls for 10 minutes before plating. Cold soup in a cold bowl stays refreshing longer.
• This keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 3 days, making it an ideal make-ahead starter.

Variations

• Use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for a tangier, thicker base.
• Add a splash of fresh dill instead of parsley for a Scandinavian feel.
• Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make it vegetarian.