Cheap Eats: Cold cucumber soup

I have an inordinate fondness for cold soups, especially in the summertime. This one is addictive. It’s a Middle Eastern concoction called xergis:

You need:
3 cucumbers
3 scallions or 1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
5 cups good-quality plain yogurt
1 tsp. olive oil (optional)
4 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
pepper
blender
large bowl

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl, and then purée about 1/3 cup at a time in the blender until smooth. Chill. Serve in soup bowls with a sprig of mint or a sprinkling of chopped dill, parsley, or coriander. You also can serve it in glasses as a drink.

The stuff is utterly delicious. As a side benefit, it delivers an enormous thwack of calcium, about 386 mg. per cup. You can cheerfully drink two cups without feeling at all put upon.