Costco Connection - July 2008

creative cooking

Chilling out

Cold soups make for a delicious meal—any time of day

Creamy
avocado soup
By Laura Langston

IT’S SUMMER and the soup’s on. No, that’s not a contradiction in terms. Not if we’re talking about cold soups.

Cold summer soups are refreshing, nutritious and easy. Most require little (if any) cooking and can be whipped up quickly in a blender or food processor. They benefit from being prepared ahead, either the night before they’re needed or early in the day when the kitchen is still cool. While cold soups are often featured as an appetizer or dessert (even as breakfast in some Scandinavian countries), they can be a mainstay around which to build a summer meal. Add a loaf of good bread, a wedge of cheese, a bottle of wine and some fruit for dessert, and head for the patio table.

To prepare a cold soup that’s ready immediately, chill your ingredients first—even canned items and ready-made broth. Never add ice to soups. It not only dilutes the flavor but reduces the nutritional value.

Chilled soups can be appealingly coarse like a Spanish gazpacho or velvety smooth like a vichyssoise. For a thicker soup, use the chop setting on your food processor and process for a short time.

Gazpacho

THIS RECIPE RESULTS in a finely chopped soup; using a lower setting on the food processor will keep the ingredients chunky.

3 cups V8 juice
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, peeled
5 ripe tomatoes,
peeled*
1 carrot, peeled and
in chunks
1 small onion,
in chunks
1 cucumber, peeled
and chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and quartered

¼ cup fresh parsley

¼ cup fresh basil or cilantro

¼ cup olive oil

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded (optional)

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 teaspoon pepper or to taste

Processing longer on the liquefy setting will result in a thinner soup.

Cold muffles flavor; many sources recommend ramping up spicing for cold soups. However, when cold soup goes into the fridge (a great way to let those flavors blend), spices tend to become more pronounced. A good rule of thumb: Start with a moderate amount of spicing and adjust the flavor before serving.

Unless you have pre-chilled your ingredients, chill the soup for two to 12 hours. Check the consistency before serving: Cold soups sometimes thicken as they chill. If needed, adjust overly thick soups with some of the liquid used in the recipe.

Always pre-chill your serving bowls; allow 10 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Finally, don’t forget to garnish. Let imagination and taste be your guide—try crunchy croutons or tortilla strips, minced herbs or edible flowers, or a dollop of sour cream. C

Journalist-turned-novelist Laura Langston lives with her family in Victoria, British Columbia.

PHOTOS BY LAURA LANGSTON

THE LIME JUICE adds a nice zing and helps retain the brilliant green color. Though the soup can be refrigerated for several days, for the best color retention serve within a few hours.

4 ripe avocados

( 1¼ cups), peeled, pitted and chopped

½ cup lime juice

2 green onions, white part only

¼ cup cilantro (leaves only, no stems)

1 ½ cups sour cream (nonfat is fine)

3 cups chicken stock

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 to 2 teaspoons

Tabasco sauce

In a food processor, purée
avocado, lime juice,
green onions and cilantro.
Add sour cream and
blend again.
Pour into a large bowl.
Blend in chicken stock,
salt and Tabasco sauce.
Refrigerate for a minimum
of 2 hours before serving
(unless ingredients are
cold to start).
Adjust seasonings and
check consistency. If it’s
too thick, add a little
more stock.
Garnish with sour cream,
cilantro or tortilla chips.
Makes 8 cups.

In a food processor, combine 1 cup V8 juice, lemon juice, garlic, 2 tomatoes and one-third of the carrot, onion, cucumber, green pepper, parsley and basil. Process, then pour into a large bowl. Repeat the process, using 1 cup V8 juice, olive oil, jalapeño pepper, 1 tomato and one-third of the remaining vegetables. Repeat the process, using the last cup of V8 juice and the remaining tomato and vegetables.

Mix the three batches together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with chopped cucumber or tomato, croutons, slivered basil or a drizzle of olive oil. Makes 8 cups.