As we approach August on the cusp of a steamy July, cold soups become welcome partners in planning refreshing meals. On hot days, a cold soup can remarkably revive flagging appetites, while remaining light and satisfying. Many of them require minimal cooking and are perfect for meals that can be made ahead.
Past files of my columns in the last 15 years show recipes for a number of cold soups. Yes, amazingly this column first appeared in The Lincoln County News on July 29, 2009! Together we have explored the classic vichyssoise, red and white gazpacho, sorrel soup, cucumber shape-up soup, avocado soup, and Swedish fruit soup. In times past many cold soups relied on heavy cream or were made with buttermilk. Good buttermilk is now rarely available in supermarkets, so yogurt has become a favorite low-calorie substituent for it in many cold soups.
Savory summer squash and celery soup
Cold borscht (Photo courtesy I. Winicov Harrington)
Coarsely chop 2 large celery stalks with tops, 1 medium onion, and 1 medium zucchini or summer squash.
Cook vegetables for 30 minutes in 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth with 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, ground thyme, savory, and lemon pepper. Cool slightly and puree in a blender with 1-2 cups of yogurt. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 seeded and diced red pepper and 1 medium zucchini. Chill and serve garnished with chopped dill or chives.
Borscht may make a hearty winter soup, but here is a cold summer version with beets that will tempt you with both its striking color and taste. This is a modified version from Jaqueline Hèriteau’s “Feast of Soups.”
Summer cold beet soup
This is a perfect non-cooked soup that can be made with canned beets. You will need 2 cans of whole small or cut beets in their liquid.
Puree a 15 oz can of beets with their juice in a blender together with 3 large onion slices, 1/2 tsp tarragon, and 1/4 tsp lemon pepper.
Combine 1 cup beef broth with 1 1/2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp coarse salt, and 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice in a small pot and heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool slightly and add to the beet puree an additional 2 cups of beef broth. Blend with 1 cup of sour cream and transfer to a large bowl.
Drain the beets from the other can, grate coarsely on a box grater and add to the soup. Dice half of an English seedless cucumber, add to the soup, and adjust flavor with salt and pepper. Chill and serve garnished with chives or dill.
Cold soups can be served with crusty bread, cheese, cold meats or fish, or a variety of open-faced sandwiches. A perfect finish for such a meal would be a fruity dessert.
Blueberry-peach galette
Blueberry peach galette (Photo courtesy I. Winicov Harrington)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stretch a sheet-roll of crescent-dough from the deli case, in a rectangle on parchment lined cookie pan and mark a 2-inch boarder along the edges without cutting through the dough. In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 tsp nutmeg.
Quickly dip 2 large peaches in boiling water, peel off the skin, remove the pit, and slice each in 8-12 slices. Gently combine the peaches in a bowl with 1 1/2 cups blueberries, zest of 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp grated ginger, and the sugar-cornstarch mix. Spread the fruit mix on top of the dough within the 2-inch boarders and sprinkle with 2 tbsp slivered almonds. Fold the borders over the sides of the fruit. Sprinkle the fruit with 2 tbsp Demerara sugar and baste the folded dough edges with heavy cream. Place in oven, turn heat down to 375 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes until the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Cold summer soups easily adapt to a variety of vegetables and would be delicious with broccoli, asparagus, cooked carrots or peas. Hèriteau’s book also intrigues me with several unusual cold soups with fruit, though I wonder about the origins of her cold beer soup or hangover stew, made with beer, wine, cinnamon, and sugar in a mug with a poached egg on top!
(I. Winicov Harrington, of Waldoboro, is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less Than $5.00 a Day: The Smart-Frugal Food Plan” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga.” For more information, go to winicov-harrington.com.)
