Strawberry Soup

Strawberry Soup

Tis the season for hotter temps and cooler soups. I learned to make this one in culinary school. We served it as a choice for the soups course but it really could be a dessert. It's sweet, but not too sweet, and just a bit thinner than a mousse or pudding. Put your freshly picked strawberries to good use and try this one out.

Strawberry Soup
Serves 4 as an appetizer 
Ready In: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

1 to 1 1/2 qts fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled
1 whole clove
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 c triple sec OR orange juice
1 cup finely granulated sugar such as caster
cornstarch
2 cups heavy cream 1/2 liquid and 1/2 whipped

Combine strawberries, clove, cinnamon, sugar and liquor or juice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Thicken if needed with cornstarch. Cool.

Once the strawberry mixture is cooled, remove the clove and cinnamon stick. Mash well or puree, if desired, some like this soup chunky and others prefer it smooth. Add the liquid cream and then fold in the whipped cream. Chill for several hours before serving.

Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Tomatoes are my very favorite food and this is another soup that is just plain good. Creamy and full of just-picked flavor, it's the perfect thing on a hot day.

It goes together quickly and easily with the use of a blender - no heat required! Choose an herb that you really enjoy, I like dill with the sour cream and cucumber in this, but basil would be lovely, too. Sriracha would also be excellent stirred into each serving. Use very ripe and fresh tomatoes for the best flavor.

Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup

Printable Recipe
Ready in 15 minutes

Serves 4 as a starter

6 large or 8 medium ripe plum tomatoes - peeled and seeded

3 medium cucumbers - peeled and seeded

1 small bunch green onions - tops and whites

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup sour cream (I like Mexican crema for this)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon freshly snipped dill plus more for garnish (or whichever herb you like)

Pop everything into a blender and puree until smooth. Chill for several hours if desired or serve as-is topped with extra herbs and sliced green onion.

Chilled Vegetable Soup

Close to Gazpacho, but with a few subtle differences, this soup is refreshing and full of flavor. Even my 3 year-old couldn't stop eating it.

Rather than puree as the gazpacho is made, I've left the vegetables in tiny little chunks. I like the bite to it and the allspice adds a depth of flavor that I really love.

Chilled Vegetable Soup
Printable Recipe
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

1 small cucumber
1 small zucchini
2 ribs celery
1/2 small Spanish onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
2 green onions - white and green parts
2 medium tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon freshly snipped dill
1 Tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Extra vegetables and herbs for garnish

Peel, seed and cut all vegetables into very fine dice (first 8 ingredients). Toss together in a large bowl.
Stir together tomato paste and water or stock and add to veggies. Toss in all seasonings (last 6 ingredients) and stir until well combined. Chill overnight or for at least 4 hours so flavors will blend. Serve with reserved chopped veggies and herbs
on top.

Beautiful Soup: Gazpacho

Beautiful Soup: Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a soup that screams 'summer' like no other. Bright with flavor and cool to the palate, it pairs very well with sangria on a sultry summer evening. Alice B. Toklas refered to this as, 'Beautiful soup'. This version is adapted from the one we used regularly at the school's restaurant.

Feel free to spice it up with a jalapeno pepper or a dash of cayenne.

Gazpacho
Printable Recipe

Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 for a light dinner

2 large very ripe tomatoes concassè (peeled, seeded and diced)

1/2 onion diced

1/2 large green pepper diced

1/2 large red pepper diced

1/2 large yellow pepper diced

1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced

1 clove garlic minced

2 T red wine vinegar

1 T lemon juice

1 T lime juice

2 c tomato juice

2 c consomme or beef stock (cold any flavor of stock works)

Puree all together until smooth. Add garnish (below) and chill for several hours. Serve topped with fried croutons if desired.

Garnish

1 c tomato concasse (peeled, seeded, diced)

2 c peppers (green, red, yellow) diced

1 c peeled and seeded cucumber diced

1 c scallions sliced thin

1 T fresh dill minced

1 T fresh cilantro minced