Chilled Yoghurt and Cucumber Soup with Mint

First peel the cucumbers thinly with a potato peeler so as to leave some of the green skin on, then slice them.

Reserve a few slices to garnish the soup, then place the rest in a blender, along with the yoghurt, soured cream and crushed garlic. Switch on and blend at the highest speed until smooth. Add a seasoning of salt and pepper and the lemon juice, then pour the soup into a tureen and if it seems to be a little too thick, thin it with some cold milk. Now stir in the chopped fresh mint, cover with foil or with a lid and chill very thoroughly for several hours before serving.

To serve, ladle the soup into individual soup bowls and float a few thin slices of cucumber and a thin slice of lemon on each one.