Yogurt and Cucumber Soup

All the fresh herbs make this cold soup marvelously refreshing. Key ingredient is raisins. Absolutely perfect if you have an herb garden; otherwise, for those of us who don't, a little expensive to prepare (unless you have use for all those extra fresh herbs) but great on the tastebuds and wonderfully aromatic nevertheless. Substitute dried for fresh if fresh herbs unavailable. I prepared this for a 3-day July 4th weekend. Cut out of an article in the NY Times, adapted from Najmieh Batmanglij, a Thai chef living in the U.S., but she described this as a Persian soup. Cooking time is chilling time.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  cucumbers, long, seedless peeled and diced or 4  pickling cucumbers or 2  cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
• 3  cups low-fat yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup scallion, chopped
• 2  tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
• 2  tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2  tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 2  tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
• 1  tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1⁄2 cup raisins
• 1⁄4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
•  salt and pepper, to taste
• 3  tablespoons  dried rose petals (available at Middle Eastern stores) (optional)
• 1  tablespoon of fresh mint or 1  tablespoon dried mint
• 1  pita bread, toasted and cut into squares

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except the last three. Mix thoroughly with 1 cup water.
2. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
3. Just before serving stir in rose petals and add a few ice cubes. Garnish with additional mint and pita bread croutons.