COLD SOUP, A SUMMER DELIGHT
Most of us think of soup as a piping hot hearty warm bowl of vegetables and broth to be enjoyed during the colder seasons of fall and winter, but soup can be a delight during the warmer months of summer as well. Just as heavier meats and starches are set aside during the warm seasons, try setting aside those ingredients and shift to seasonal fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs to make a cooling soup that will please even your pickiest eater.
Plan a trip to the local farmer market for the fresh fair of summer then head to the grocery to pick up a few basics including vegetable or chicken stock, sour cream and plain yogurt, canned garbanzo beans and some good quality olive oil. The beauty of cold soup whether made with vegetables or fruit, substitutions give variety.
Here are some of my favorites:
3 medium ripe avocados
1 TBS fresh lemon or lime juice
3/4 C coarsely chopped peeled and seeded cucumber
2 TBS dry sherry
1/4 C coarsely chopped scallions
2 C chicken stock
1 tsp. Salt
Hot pepper sauce optional
Plain yogurt or sour cream to garnish
Place all ingredients either into blender of food processor and blend until smooth. Garnish with yogurt or sour cream
Gazpacho
1 grn & 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cucumber chopped
1 onion roughly chopped
1 fresh red chili seeded and chopped
3 C chopped ripe plum tomatoes
3 3/4 tomato juice
2 TBS red wine vinegar
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Reserve small piece of grn and red bell peppers, cucumber and onion for garnish
Process all remaining ingredients in food processor or blender
Vichyssoise
3 Lrg potatoes peeled and cubed
1 1/2 qrts chicken stock
12 ounces leeks, trimmed
2/3 C crme or sour cream
3 TBS fresh snipped chives for garnish
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Boil potatoes in stock until almost tender, stir in leeks and simmer for 15 minutes. Process cooled potatoes and leeks in blender of food processor and cream or sour cream and chill.
Enjoy the summer and the soup. Till next time, Rebecca