When it’s a million degrees out and even the thought of turning on the stove makes you sweat, this Chilled Watermelon Cucumber Soup comes to the rescue. It’s light, hydrating, and bursting with flavor—basically the edible version of jumping into a cold pool. Crisp cucumbers get tossed with punchy and vibrant aromatics like ginger, garlic, and chili, then mellowed out with cool water and sweet, juicy watermelon. A handful of ice cubes chills it all the way down, while toasted sesame seeds give it a nutty little finish.
This recipe is loosely inspired by oi naengguk, a chilled Korean cucumber soup that’s traditionally served icy cold in the summer. But I gave it a little Funky Asian Kitchen twist—with sweet watermelon, a touch of soy, and a hit of heat—to turn it into something totally refreshing and a little unexpected. It’s part salad, part soup, and 100% what your summer needs so let’s get into it.
The cucumbers are the base of this soup. I prefer to use the English ones over the waxy standard ones. For one, they don’t need to be peeled, and their thin skin and nearly seedless interior make prep a breeze. Plus, they’re nice and crisp without being watery, which helps keep the soup light but still full of crunch. Once the cucumbers are cut into matchsticks, they get tossed with a mix of garlic, salt, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, chili, and rice vinegar. Letting them sit for a few minutes draws out their liquid, which turns into the light, flavorful broth for Chilled Watermelon Cucumber Soup—no stock or simmering required.
First I cut the cucumber into thin slices:
Then I stack the slices and make matchsticks:
Now it’s time to add all the flavor boosting seasonings, starting with the minced garlic and ginger:
And green onions:
Next comes the salt:
Then I add soy sauce. If you want to keep this gluten free just make sure you’re using a soy sauce that doesn’t contain any wheat.
A little bit of sugar helps balance all the flavors:
Some nice freshly ground black pepper gets added to the mix:
And finally a dollop of rice vinegar:
Give it all a good stir:
Let it sit for about 5 minutes so the seasonings can draw out the moisture from the cucumbers, resulting in this flavorful liquid. I add the cucumbers and their juice to a large serving bowl:
Then I pour in the cup of cold water:
Then I quickly cube the watermelon. (Hang on to the rind and make Watermelon Rind Kimchi!)
The watermelon gets added to the cucumbers:
And garnished with some sesame seeds:
Then to really cool things down, add the ice cubes. I know this seems weird, but trust the process!
Then it’s time to serve your refreshing, hydrating, and icy soup.
I hope this Chilled Watermelon Cucumber Soup helps you keep your cool this summer. Try it out and let me know what you think, and tag us in your pics at funkyasiankitchen, we love seeing your creations!
Looking for some more low cook/no cook dishes? Check out my Tofu Terrine, Tropical Overnight Oats, or this Chicken Salad.
Chilled Watermelon Cucumber Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: soup
- Cuisine: pan-Asian
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 English cucumber (about 12 ounces) or 4 persian/kirby cucumbers
- 1 ½ cups cubed watermelon, about ½ inch in size
- 1 cup cold water
- 8 ice cubes
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 green onion, trimmed and minced
- 1–2 fresh red chili pepper, trimmed and minced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoons rice vinegar
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the cucumber: Cut the cucumber into thin slices. Then stack the cucumbers and slice through them to yield thin matchsticks. Place the cucumbers in a bowl.
Season the cucumbers: Add the seasoning ingredients to the cucumbers and stir to combine. Let the cucumbers sit for 5 minutes. This will draw out some liquid and create the base of your soup.
Pour the cucumbers into a large bowl with all of the juice. Pour the water over the cucumbers and gently stir to combine.
Add the watermelon to the center of the bowl.
Sprinkle some of the sesame seeds on top.
Drop the ice cubes into the soup and serve Chilled Watermelon Cucumber Soup immediately.
Notes
*You can also make individual servings of the soup. It is easier to make the cucumber soup first and then portion the soup into the soup bowls before finishing the final steps.
Keywords: chilled, no cook, summer, watermelon, cucumber, soup
