Cold Soup...what's your fav?
I love a cold cucumber soup made with yogurt...gazpacho with crostini of goat cheese spread..
Watermelon with mint and crumbled feta.
What's some of your favorites?
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Will Owen
Jun 29, 2009 02:59 PM
Vichyssoise and gazpacho will both make me happy every time, but one of my favorites is a very simple one I invented, of summer squash. The trick to this is that you steam the cut-up squash - zooks, crooknecks, pattypan, alone or in any combination - with a good handful of dried rosemary dumped into the steaming water. Then you blend the squash with defatted chicken broth, season to taste, then blend in however much sour cream or creme fraiche your little heart desires. Sprinkle on some chives or drop on a cucumber slice if you want eye appeal. The combination of rich and cool with the faint summery flavor of rosemary (as long as you didn't overdo it) is very nice. If you want to get really fancy you can strain out the seeds and bits of peel, but I never bother.
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re: Will Owen
c oliver
Jun 29, 2009 03:14 PM
Okay, you never lead me wrong (fixed THAT pork again in Manhattan for our hosts). I like yellow crookneck but couldn't imagine a cold soup of that. Now I can. I'm assuming the rosemary is minced to death? And please give me some # of squash to amount of rosemary approximations if you can. Thanks, Will. (Scargod and SO are joining us here on Cape Cod tonight for clam chowder and lobster rolls!)
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re: c oliver
Beach Chick
Jun 29, 2009 04:04 PM
lobster rolls and chowder on Cape Cod...heart be still..love the Cape!!
Will..please post your summer squash recipe..that sounds out of this world delicious! -
re: c oliver
Will Owen
Jun 29, 2009 05:25 PM
Tell ya what, kid, I never wrote any of it down. No, the rosemary is just a big pinch of the dried (NOT fresh!) put down into the water in the bottom pot, and the squash - maybe six or eight? - cut into chunks, salted and peppered, and put into the top, which goes on after the water has boiled. Cook for 12 minutes or so, until it's all falling-in soft, and remove to a bowl. If you're using a regular jar blender, let it cool before proceeding to avoid messy explosions. Blend with chicken broth, about a cup and a half (more or less depending on how thick you want it) and taste for seasoning. Then you can either chill it as is and add cream as a garnish, or blend some in before chilling. Squash has a lot more flavor than we give it credit for, and salt and pepper and just a good hint of rosemary are good complements to that.
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re: Will Owen
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re: Sharuf
Will Owen
Jul 2, 2009 03:32 PM
The dried rosemary is considerably more potent than fresh, but you might like that subtlety. Buttermilk is also a very good idea. You can make a very nice crème fraiche by mixing some buttermilk into heavy cream and letting it sit in a warm place (easy to find this time of year!) with a towel over it. I thing something like a one-to-four ratio was what I used last time, but it's not that critical.
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jfood
Jun 27, 2009 03:27 PM
Jfood's Gazpacho
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved and seeded
3 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
8 plum tomatoes, seeds removed
2 red onions or one Vidalia onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 46-ounce can Sacramento tomato juice (6 cups) This brand is very important
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3-5 shots Frank’s hot sauce1. Cut each of the vegetables into ¼“ cubes
2. Place each vegetable, after it is chopped, into a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and Hot Sauce.
3. Mix well and chill before serving.The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.
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tracylee
Jun 27, 2009 11:39 AM
Perfect timing on this thread. My SO was just asking which chilled soups might fit into my new dietary restrictions. He'd eat them all, since he loves his veggies. The only one that really appeals to me would be the Hungarian cherry soup. I've been eating carrot orange ginger, and I love it hot.
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re: Caralien
I love vichysoise, but found that served cold the taste of the butter becomes quite dominant, and gives the soup a grainy consistency. Could be my recipe is out of date and too heavy on the dairy.
A good mushroom soup, with portobello or other strongly flavored mushrooms, is delicious cold, and redolent of the forest floor. I recently made a green garlic and fava bean soup that was also delicious cold. In general, I think most soups (other than chunky ones with meat) are equally good cold, and it's easier to pick up the full range of flavors in cold soup.
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hannaone
Jun 25, 2009 12:55 PM
Naengmyon, a Korean cold noodle soup usually made with buckwheat noodles, a flavorful beef broth that is slightly sweet and sour, and topped with shredded daikon, asian pear, thin slice beef, and half of a boiled egg.
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re: liveloveat34
hannaone
Jun 26, 2009 09:20 AM
Really great on those long lazy hot summer days.
I like to freeze the broth into ice cubes, then blend them to get a "slushy" like texture.
Instead of the mustard sauce I use mustard oil (use very cautiously or be prepared to go all dragon breath)-
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re: liveloveat34
hannaone
Jun 26, 2009 10:31 PM
Mul Naengmyeon
물냉면
6 servings
Ingredients
1 24 ounce pkg Memil guksu 메밀국수(Korean buckwheat noodles)
8 cups Beef Stock*
2 cups Anchovy Stock***Beef Stock
2 lb beef brisket
2 lb beef bones
1 1/2 ounce ginger root
5 hot green chili peppers
2 1/2 quarts water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp salt or to taste**Anchovy Stock
8 dried anchovies
1/2 ounce kelp (kombu/dashima/dasima)
2 cups water
1 medium slice onion
1 clove garlicToppings
2 small Korean cucumbers
1 Asian pear
4 eggs
Asian hot mustard or hot mustard oil (optional)Directions :
Preparation:Beef Broth:
Rinse soup bones in cold water, then place in a large cooking pot (4 quart or larger)and completely submerge in water.
Bring to a full boil, remove from heat, discard water, and rinse bones with cold water.
Add the brisket, ginger, peppers, salt, and two quarts water to the pot with the beef bones and bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, skimming off oil and foam as needed, until reduced by 1/4 (1 1/2 quarts remaining).
Carefully remove meat from broth and set aside.
Remove bones from broth and discard, then strain broth through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, and discard solids. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
Slice meat into thin slices and refrigerate.Anchovy Broth:
Roughly chop the onion.
Slice the garlic into thirds from top to bottom.
Place dried anchovies and kelp in a pan and slowly toast over low heat.
Transfer toasted anchovies and kelp to a soup pot, add onion, garlic, and water, then gently heat to a slow simmer over low heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Strain the broth and discard solids.
Let cool to room temperature.Mix Broth:
Remove any solidified fat and oil from the refrigerated beef broth.
Combine beef and anchovy broths with the vinegar and stir well.
Fill several ice trays with 1/2 the broth and freeze.
Refrigerate the remaining broth until cold.Toppings:
Hard boil the eggs, cool, peel, and cut each in half.
Peel and core the pear.
Wash the cucumber in cold water.
Thick shred the cucumber and pear.
Mix optional mustard: 2 tablespoons mustard, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon vinegar.Noodles:
Bring about two quarts of water to a full boil and add the noodles, stirring just enough to separate them.
Boil for about three minutes, or to your desired result (firm, medium firm, or soft).
Remove from heat and rinse in cold water until noodles are cold.Serve:
Divide noodles equally into six serving bowls, and top with sliced meat.
Divide cold broth evenly among the bowls, and add the frozen broth cubes, or place the frozen cubes and cold broth into a large capacity blender and blend into a slush, then add to noodles.
Very cautiously add mustard oil one or two drops at a time, or the mustard mix, to your desired heat.
Add other topping ingredients evenly and serve.
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re: somervilleoldtimer
Reading through the thread, I was wondering if anybody would mention the Hungarian cold cherry soup. On a summer visit to Budapest in the early '90s, I was introduced to this delicious, refreshing soup, and I think I ate it every day I was there. While there, I happened upon a little cookbook, "The 100 Most Famous Hungarian Dishes," in both Magyar and English. I bought it just for the cold cherry soup recipe. Great souvenir. Great summer soup.
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re: Old Spice
Davedigger
Jun 26, 2009 11:33 AM
Did it have little dumplings in it? My mom makes something similar to what you describe.
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BerkshireTsarina
Jun 24, 2009 03:29 PM
Here's a universal favorite over decades:
Curried Pea Soup
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1 med. onion, sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 stalk celery with leaves, sliced
1 med. potato, sliced
1 t. salt
1 t. curry powder
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream or milk
In saucepan, combine peas, onion, carrot, garlic, celery, potato, salt, curry powder and one cup chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Into blender put contents of saucepan. Cover. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. After 10 seconds remove cover and add remaining cup chicken broth and add cream or milk.
Heat over simmering water, or chill and serve cold with a topping of whipped cream.
Serves 4
I use frozen peas, BTW. I have a feeling this recipe originated with James Beard long long ago, but it was one of those favorites that people kept passing around to each other. Give it a try!
(And no doubt about it, it's soup!)It tastes best with cream, of course. If you’re doubling the recipe, do it in two blender batches. Probably it’s good hot but I never serve it that way. Enjoy!
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fwegan
Jun 24, 2009 02:58 PM
My grandma's zucchini soup. The other night I made it for the first time this season! It's great, you serve it hot for dinner, add extra salt to the leftovers and put it in the fridge for lunch the next day.
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re: vballgal
fwegan
Jun 25, 2009 11:54 AM
Sure! Here's the version of the recipe that my mom typed up for me a few years ago. No one in my family, except for me and my brother, is really into cooking, so this is special -- the only family recipe! Just watch out for the butter. Yikes.
Zucchini Bisque
1 med. onion, quartered
½ c. butter
1-1/2 lbs. zucchini
2-1/2 c. chicken stock
½ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper
1 c. ½ & ½
Chop onion in food processor. In large saucepan, melt butter. Saute onion until limp. Shred zucchini in food processor. Add zucchini and chicken stock to onion. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. Puree zucchini mixture in processor in 2 batches, adding ½ the spices each time OR use an immersion blender to puree, adding spices. Add ½ & ½ and stir until well mixed. Taste for additional seasonings. Serve hot or cold.
From MaryLou McCandless-
re: fwegan
chef chicklet
Jun 26, 2009 09:47 AM
Oh thank you! I have a rather large zucchini that I've been mulling over what to make with it. I did want to stuff it, but after last night, it was horribly hot, and me making blackeye pea soup and cornbread, I better chill, literally.
Thank you this looks absolutely delicious. I have another quart of vegetable stock, and will be lovely with a shrimp salad tonight. Do you think if I added about a tablespoon of sherry it would be the wrong thing to do? I love sherry in my bisques. I use it in mushroom bisque, just wondering.
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Made some vichyoisse for dinner Sunday night. Finishing up the last of it tonight. Always garnish with fresh chives!
Adore Hungarian cold cherry soup as well. Lots of fruit soups in Central European cooking. Same method you can make with peaches, apricots, other fruits. Flavoring with dash of complementary liquor like ammaretto with cherries, rum with peaches, etc. can give you nice buzz too!
Also like cold cucumber soup, follow same method as vichyoisse.
Would like watermelon soup recipe but don't like mint or feta - any substitutes?
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always_eating
Jun 23, 2009 07:45 PM
Gazpacho, Ajo Blanco, Potato Leek and Chilled Cauliflower soups are up there! I also like a good Chilled Melon soup.
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I'm with you on the cucumber soup-- buttermilk, dill, and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
Also, one that appears to be more or less unique to my family: cold slightly salted water with hard boiled eggs cut up in it. (The yolks dissolve to make a yellowish soup, the whites you eat with the spoon) Everyone I mention this to finds it revolting, but it was a refreshing light supper in very hot weather...
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re: emmee
We had it this way at seders, too (though not quite so chilled)--so that may well have been the original inspiration! I've actually not enountered very many other families that mash up the egg in the salt water this way, though I know some do. (Daintily "dipping" seems to be more standard)
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re: another_adam
Davedigger
Jun 26, 2009 11:35 AM
Cucumbers, beets, green onions, dill, buttermilk. Even better. Cut up some hard boiled eggs into it too. And/or eat it with a boiled potato.
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Well, call me old fashioned and probably a few other names which cannot be repeated in polite company, but I don't think any of these cool concoctions can be properly called soup.
Name them what you will, but they are not soup in my humble albeit narrow minded opinion.
For me soup is an almost sacred food reaching into prehistory, way before the recent advent of refrigeration and is always served hot. Call these liquid concoctions what you will, but they are not soup in my book.
Can anyone cite an historical reference for these concoctions being called soup? If so, how did they chill it? I can imagine people putting out a perfectly good hot soup into a cold winter climate to chill it, but why would they do this? Perhaps to preserve it, but if they had any sense at all, I do think they would reheat it.
OK my rant is over, but tell me why I am wrong if you can.
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re: Greyghost
I appreciate your unyielding approach---of course, I cannot be accused of such intractable positions m'self----but I do think there is such a thing as cold soup. At the outset, I agree with the sacred notion of soup--it isamong the noblest achievements of Mankind such as cheese or self-cleaning ovens. ut a good cold soup will always require the hot-cooking to coax flavors. And, as someone who has lived much of his life in the American South, I tend to like a cold soup in weather such as we have today. It is refreshing beyond description. Vichyssoise..which is just more expensive leek/potato soup served cold with cream--is a delight. Even james Beard hailed it.
BUt I have cold soup in Russia..and those are ancient soups. Cold borscht is marvelous, there is a fabulous tomato & cilantro cold soup from Georgia. No, these are established soups, as essential to the soul as any deep,dark hot offering.
We have, of course, the advantage over the ancients that we can make ice...ice is essential to being civilized.
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Candy
Jun 23, 2009 02:52 PM
That cold avocado soup that one of the CH regulars posted a few years ago is quite fine. I have a simple down and dirty frijole soup made with a can of refried beans with chorizo a can of fire roasted tomatoes and a dash of stock if needed to thin it. All in the blender and whiz. Chill well and top each serving with crema and a good tomato salsa. I used to do a cold cream of spinach soup what was something like chicken broth, defrosted chopped frozen spinach and cream cheese. Then chilled and served. I'll have to jog my memory for measurements. Sure was good. Don't forget a well made gazpacho too.
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Deenso
Jun 23, 2009 02:04 PM
#1 - Vichysoisse, sprinkled with chopped chives. It's pretty much a lock: if it's on a menu, that's what I'm ordering.
#2 - Chilled cream of watercress. Never had it in a restaurant; got a recipe from Pierre Franey's "60-Minute Gourmet"
#3 - Jellied madrilene. I haven't had this in, like, 45 years, but simply adored it as a kid. I'm pretty sure my mother used to buy it in a can stick it in the fridge to congeal, then do nothing more to it than scoop it out of the can and - if she was feeling ambitious - cut it into small cubes and garnish it with very thinly sliced green onions. -
chef chicklet
Jun 23, 2009 02:03 PM
potato leek, or vichysoise. Love it....with cold avocado topped with sliced avocado and shrimp,and creme fraiche as a close second. Oh wait, gazpacho...I love that one too.
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Chilled Avocado Citrus Soup from Nadsa de Monteiro’s The Elephant Walk
4 Servings
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp salt
1 quart orange juice, freshly squeezed
1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 avocados, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2/3 cup button mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups plum tomatoes, diced without pulp
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
Cover the chopped onion with 1 tbsp salt for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse the salt completely off the onion, then drain and squeeze off excess water.
Mix remaining salt, black pepper, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, and sugar. Add olive oil and mix well. Add the diced avocados, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion. Stir gently to mix. Let chill one hour before serving.
Directly before serving, add 1 tbsp cilantro to soup and stir to mix.
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ScubaSteve
Jun 23, 2009 01:52 PM
had a watermelon gazpacho with chargrilled shrimps at The Butcher Shop in Boston that still haunts me. so good.
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