Summer and soup don't usually go together. Once the mercury rises, the thought of sipping a steamy bowl of anything is enough to make a person cringe – unless, of course, the soup is chilled.
Cold soups like gazpacho and vichyssoise create innovative flavor pairings that tease the palate as they refresh.
"In the summertime, when we put cold soups on the menu, they are automatically our best seller," said Greg Salisbury, owner of Rx in Philadelphia's University City neighborhood, where blueberry ginger soup (made from local berries, grated fresh ginger, sugar, mint and garnished with whole-milk yogurt) is a top seller.
Cold soups offer another bonus: in most cases they're made with healthy ingredients. Chilled vegetable soups, usually low in calories, are colorful, deeply flavored, easy to make and offer a convenient way to get your quota of daily veggies. And they are a welcome alternative to the ever-present summer salad that fills you up without weighing you down.
Cold soups, made of fresh fruit, veggies, herbs and spices are a nice alternative to a salad. ANYTHING FRESH AND SEASONAL GOES
As to what makes a good cold soup, just about anything seasonal and fresh goes. One of the best known cold soups is gazpacho, a powerhouse of flavor that includes the garden's mid-summer harvest of tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. Although there are many variations to the dish, it originated in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, where it is typically served as a first course.
While some cold soups like gazpacho are a product of Mediterranean climes, cold-weather countries have their cold soups too. For instance, Lithuania is known for Shchav, a spring soup made with sorrel, and Poland is known for Chlodnik (HWAD-neek), a chilled beet borscht. Although hot soup is served in the summer in most traditional Polish households, this refreshing alternative combines favorite ingredients like beets and dill for a chilly first course.
Making a cold soup is usually as easy as flipping the switch on the blender or food processor. In many cases, there's no need to fire up the stove at all, since both the sweet and savory ingredients can be blended raw. If there is any cooking involved, it's usually minimal. Veggies like summer squash, zucchini, peppers, onions can be simmered until they just start to soften. Next, puree with fresh herbs like dill or parsley and enough chicken or vegetable broth to get the consistency perfect. Chill, and garnish with low fat yogurt and more snipped herbs.
Once chilled, soup tends to lose some of its flavor, so be sure to check the taste before serving and add more seasonings if it is bland. Cold soup also tastes best when consumed within two days. If the mixture separates during refrigeration, whirl the soup in a blender before serving.
Fruit soups, which can incorporate both fruits and vegetables, like the popular beet and blueberry borscht at Rx, are especially light and easy to make. Combine fresh fruit in a blender with unsweetened juice, mint and yogurt, and dessert is ready to go.
CHILLED COCONUT PLANTAIN SOUP
This exotic soup from Scott McLeod, at Fresca Superior, is flavored with plantains, coconut milk and ginger. It tends to thicken the second day, so thin it with a little coconut milk or low-fat milk.
1/2 cup blended oil
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon turmeric
1/2 cup onions, sliced
3 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced thin
4 cups water
1/2 cup half and half
6 cups coconut milk (about 3 cans)
1/2 cup Coco Lopez
In a heavy sauce pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add red chili flakes, ginger, garlic, onions and turmeric. Cook until about 4 minutes, until the onions are getting tender. Add plantains and water, bring to boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Once the plantains begin to break apart, add half and half, coconut milk and Coco Lopez. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, puree until smooth. Pass soup through fine mesh strainer and chill.
To serve, adjust the consistency of the soup with additional coconut milk. Squeeze a fresh lime wedge in each bowl to balance out the soup's sweetness.
COLD BEET SOUP
No Polish meal is complete without soup. Although hot soup is served in the summer in most traditional households, this refreshing alternative combines favorite ingredients like beets and dill for a chilly first course. This recipe for cold borscht, adapted from Treasured Polish Recipes for Americans, is a streamlined version of Polish Chlodnik, a chilled beet soup traditionally eaten with boiled potatoes in the heat of the summer.
2 cups cooked beets, roughly chopped or 2 15-ounce cans beets, drained
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and rough chopped
1 cup sour cream or plain yoghurt
4 cups buttermilk
10 sprigs of fresh dill
1/2 cup scallions, rough chopped
salt to taste
fresh squeezed lemon juice, to adjust acidity
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Puree beets, cucumbers, sour cream, buttermilk, sprigs of dill and scallions in a food processor until well blended and smooth. Taste and add salt and lemon juice – the soup should be slightly acidic. Chill well. When ready to serve, garnish each bowl with fresh dill and chopped hardboiled egg.