Bulgarian Cold Cucumber Soup

Since the cucumbers I have are from the store, I not only wash them, but also partially peel off the skin, which, in spring, contains a lot of nitrates and other harmful substances. If you have homegrown cucumbers, of course, you don't need to peel anything. Grate the cucumbers and add some salt, a couple of pinches. Set the bowl aside and let the cucumbers release their water.

Walnuts are one of the essential ingredients of this cold cucumber soup. I prefer to use a blender to grind them into coarse crumbs. Fresh dill is used for chopping, about two tablespoons of chopped fresh dill.

I have two large garlic cloves, but you can use more if you like. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Add the cucumbers along with the water that formed in the bowl, dill, ground walnuts, garlic, natural yogurt, and pour in two tablespoons of olive oil. Vegetable oil can be used instead of olive oil.

Now it's time to add water. You can use still mineral water, cold, boiled, or filtered water. In Bulgaria, they add a mixture of sweet paprika, thyme, and something else (couldn't translate, but it seems like ground roasted corn) to the cold cucumber soup. This mixture is called 'Sharena Salt', and I add a whole tablespoon of it. If you don't have it, you can ignore it or add a pinch of paprika and thyme. If necessary, you can replace the yogurt with kefir. Sometimes in Bulgaria, this cold cucumber soup is made simply with water and a small amount of vinegar. However, I prefer the version with yogurt or kefir because it reminds me of the beloved okroshka or cold soup, while water is just water, even if it's flavored with vinegar. Enjoy your meal!