Having moved on from hot soup season (well, just about, anyway, considering summer’s been pretty rubbish so far), we need to delight in chilled soup while we can. With prep that involves little more than peeling and blitzing, these soups are the easiest of cold comforts for hot (or at least warmer) days. There’s something so unreconstructed about them. They just are what they are: ripe fruit or vegetables, yesterday’s bread, a bit of sunshine. Peel, blitz, drink, repeat …
Cucumber, yoghurt and peanut soup (pictured top)
Here’s one to bookmark for when you want a chilled soup that’s neither gazpacho nor ajo blanco. It was the result of a bit of a fridge-raid, to be honest, and I was more than delighted by the outcome. It will keep well in the fridge overnight, ready for an alfresco lunch the next day.
Prep 20 min
Cook 5 min
Serves 2
1 cucumber (300g), unpeeled, ¾ of it roughly chopped, the rest finely diced
1 green chilli (20g), stem removed, ½ roughly chopped, the rest finely diced (removed the pith and seeds if you prefer less heat)
50g smooth peanut butter
80ml olive oil
1 lime, zest finely grated, to get 1 tsp, and juiced, to get 2 tbsp
Fine sea salt
15g fresh dill leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled and bashed
10g peeled ginger, roughly chopped
50g crustless bread, torn into small pieces
100g ice cubes
100g greek yoghurt
First, make the drizzle. Put the finely diced cucumber and finely diced chilli in a bowl, add a tablespoon and a half of the peanut butter, two tablespoons of olive oil, the lime zest and juice, and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and stir to combine. Stir in a third of the dill and set aside.
Put all the remaining ingredients in a blender, add half a teaspoon of salt, then blitz for about a minute – the mix may need a little encouragement to get going, so start by pulsing until it starts to liquefy. Give it a full minute to help aerate the soup and give it a lovely texture.
To serve, divide the soup between two bowls and swirl over the limey drizzle. Sprinkle the remaining dill on top and serve.
Watermelon and tomato gazpacho with almond paprika oil
If you have some fresh coriander, then blitz about 10g into the gazpacho; if you have some fresh mint, tear a few leaves and stir them into the salsa; and if you have neither, then just crack right on.
Prep 15 min
Cook 10 min
Chill 2 hr+
Serves 4
For the gazpacho
250g watermelon flesh, roughly chopped
800g ripe plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
⅓ cucumber (100g), peeled and roughly chopped
½ red onion (60g), peeled and roughly chopped
1 red pepper (150g), core, pith and seeds removed and discarded, flesh roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 red chilli, remove and discard the pith and seeds if you like less heat
80g crustless stale white bread (use a gluten-free one, if you prefer)
3 tbsp sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
100ml olive oil
Fine sea salt
For the oil
60ml olive oil
40g flaked almonds
¼ tsp smoked paprika
For the salsa
50g cucumber, unpeeled and cut into ½cm dice
100g watermelon flesh, cut into ½cm pieces
½ tsp lemon juice
Put all the ingredients for the gazpacho in a blender, add two teaspoons of salt and blitz smooth. Transfer to a jug or bowl, and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
Put the oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat, add the almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, for three or four minutes, until lightly golden. Take off the heat, leave to cool for two minutes, then stir in the paprika and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt, and set aside.
Just before serving, mix the salsa ingredients with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Divide the soup between bowls, top with the salsa and oil, and serve.
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