Spicy Cucumber Soup

After having some truly delicious and refreshing cucumber soup in Charleston I wanted to devise my own, and of course that means it has a bit of a kick. There's a lot of ingredients but they're all pretty basic - besides, it makes a large batch! If you're worried about it being too spicy, leave out the 1/4 tsp of cayenne then add to taste at the end.

Spicy Cucumber Soup
(8 servings)

6 lbs cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tbs, fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh mint, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh dill, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
2 tsp of batch of assorted spices (1 tbs paprika, 1 tbs salt, 1 tbs garlic powder, 1/2 tbs black pepper, 1/2 tbs cayenne, 1/2 tbs oregano, 1/2 tbs thyme)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 c plain yogurt
3 c sour cream, divided
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbs fresh chives, minced

1) In a large bowl combine the cucumbers, bell peppers, green onions, jalapeno, cilantro, mint, dill, garlic, spices, salt, cayenne, yogurt, 2 c of the sour cream, olive oil and vinegar. Puree (I use an immersion blender).

2) Chill for a couple hours then taste and correct the seasoning. Serve with a spoonful of sour cream and the minced chives.