Summer Soups

Gazpacho is traditionally a Spanish dish, made of tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, onion, and stale-bread, and seasoned with a little vinegar and garlic. It’s very easy to make, all the ingredients just need to be put in a food mixer, and blended until they have reached the desired smoothness. It’s best made fresh, and blended with a few cubes of ice, to make it extra cold. To make it entirely smooth, any residual lumps can be sieved out. It is quite common to have diced vegetables or croutons to garnish the gazpacho with.

Variations of Gazpacho can be made by adding other ingredients, such as celery, fennel, chilli, or basil; equally ingredients can be taken out. Whatever vegetables you add or take away, it is a refreshing and healthy dish, leaps and bounds from any of the thick broths of lentil or potato that you’d have in the winter. It’s low in very calories, and can therefore be consumed as a light meal or snack, or can be used as an alternative side dish to salad if you’re having friends round for a barbeque.

Vichyssoise, made from leeks, onion and potatoes involves cooking. The vegetables are boiled or softened, and then blended with chicken stock and seasoned with salt and pepper with some double cream stirred in this mixture.

Whilst they are both traditional soups, there's some great ideas for new combinations. Tomato, avocado and lime is a tangy treat, or a chilled pea and mint soup, is a smooth soup with a great taste.

Pretty much any vegetable can be made in to a summer soup. It's even worth experimenting with sweet soups, or combining traditionally sweet and savoury ingredients. With a recipe like Gazpacho, substitute the tomato for a fruit such as mango, pineapple or watermelon.

The idea of cold soup isn’t for everyone, and could come across as unappetising, but give it a go! There are plenty of recipes available, have a look on All Recipes For inspiration. Be adventurous, you never know, you even if you don't develop a taste for Mango Gazpacho, you might find some inspiration.

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