Last week I moaned about the prospect of cooking in the oppressive heat. This week it’s the humidity that keeps me from hanging out in the kitchen. Thanks to a sultry summer, I’m still fixated on soothing, cold soups.
For lunch today I enjoyed a bowl of the crimson, Andalusian version of gazpacho. Originating in southern Spain, this red soup resulted from the 16th century introduction of tomatoes from the New World. Unlike Spain’s other chilled soup, ajo blanco, gazpacho features a puree of tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. Some cooks add diced onions, celery, lemon juice, fresh herbs, tomato juice or hot sauce. Others slip in breadcrumbs to thicken the soup.
When serving this dish at home, I occasionally strain the pureed vegetables and ladle out a velvety smooth soup. Other nights I leave in the veggies and dish out a chunky, hearty meal. That’s the beauty of Andalusian gazpacho – one recipe, two different results. Serve it the first night as a thick, vegetable-studded stew. Strain and present it the second evening as a light, satiny soup.
Another refreshing option is cold beet soup. Commonly known as borscht, this purplish, Eastern European delicacy consists of sliced or diced beets simmered in their own broth and then mixed with lemon juice, sugar, and minced onions. It is not to be confused with hot borscht, which has a meat-based stock and may contain beef as well as mushrooms, cabbage and potatoes.
Reminiscent of borscht, the Polish soup chlodnik starts with a refrigerated stock of grated beets, water, vinegar and sugar. Cucumbers, onions, radishes, dill and other herbs join the mix. Sour cream or yogurt is stirred in to give the dish its eye-popping pink color. In some parts of the country cooked crayfish or veal finish off the chlodnik. Elsewhere slices of lemon or hard-boiled eggs accompany it.
When the heat really has me beat, I whip a ridiculously simple version of chlodnik. Chopped pickled beets and their juices join together with low-fat Greek yogurt and a dash of white wine vinegar. Whisked until well-blended, these ingredients form a tart but tasty meal.
GAZPACHO
Serves 6 to 8
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped into quarters
1 yellow bell pepper, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 green pepper, trimmed and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 small Spanish onion, quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt, to taste
Using a food processor, puree the tomatoes. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and puree again.
If desiring a smooth soup: Using a chinois or fine-mesh sieve, strain the soup into a large container. Be sure to press down on the pureed vegetables to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids and refrigerate the liquid for a minimum of three hours so that the flavors can meld. Serve cold.
If preferring a chunky soup, skip straining the liquid and just refrigerate the soup for a minimum of three hours. Serve cold.
CHILLED BEET SOUP
Serves 6 to 8
You can take the time roast and then peel the beets but, since I’m trying not to increase the heat in my kitchen, I’ve opted for canned beets in this recipe. Not as authentic or flavorful but certainly a lot cooler for the cook!
2 (16 ounce) cans of beets
4 cups water or vegetable stock
juice of 1 ½ lemons
1 tablespoon sugar
8 ounces sour cream
salt, to taste
freshly ground white pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
In two batches place the beets, water or stock, lemon juice and sugar in a blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and white pepper to taste then pour the soup into a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
Before serving, pour the soup, along with the sour cream, into a blender and mix the two together. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with dill and serve.