Cold Soups for Hot Days
I LOVE SOUP!
A steamy bowl in the autumn or winter, or even on a cool, rainy day in spring, truly satisfies my food-soul. If made well, the soup I ladle into my bowl, and spoon into my mouth, can be a meal-in-one fare, supplying equal parts flavor and nutritional value. But when the hot, humid days of summer time arrive, many of us soup-lovers tend to bid a sorrowful farewell to the liquid meals we love.
But not so fast, my fellow liquid meal lovers—I have a couple of “soup-er,” chilled-to-perfection, summertime soups you can prepare without heating up the kitchen (or your body temperature).
GAZPACHO SOUP
3 lbs. tomatoes, skinned
2 cucumbers (or 1 hot house variety), peeled, and seeded if not hot house.
1 red bell pepper, seeded
1/2 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
2 slices of “de-crusted” white bread (if you want a thicker texture to the soup)
6 Tbs olive oil (EVOO)
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
Salt to taste
First, skin the tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water for 15-30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and the skin should peel off readily. Dice up the tomatoes, red bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion, bread (if using) and garlic, blend in a food processor. Stir in the salt and vinegar. Serve chilled, drizzled with some good EVOO.
WATERMELON AND RIESLING SOUP
8 cups diced, seedless watermelon
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 c. Riesling wine (for a family friendly soup, you can substitute ¾ c. water, ¼ c. sugar, or boil and then chill the wine to extract the alcohol)
1 tsp grated ginger
½ c. crumbled Feta cheese and 2 Tbs chiffonade of fresh mint leaves for garnish
Blend watermelon, lemon juice, wine, and ginger until smooth. Let stand for 30 minutes and then pass through a fine strainer to rid soup of excess liquid. Chill in fridge for one hour. Ladle into bowls and garnish with feta crumbles and a sprinkling of mint.
Just add a piece of crusty bread spread with a semi-soft cheese and call it a meal!
