Eating in summertime is generally filled with trials and tribulations. It’s always too hot to sit over a stove whipping up a mid-week meal or sometimes your body generally can’t cope with a rich or heavy meal. More often than not, we resort to summer salads as a way of getting a feed when the sun kicks in, but what to do when salads start losing their charm?
A fresh summer soup is a great alternative to cool down and beat the summer heat. You can make the most of the fresh and seasonal produce and mix up the flavour elements by using home-grown herbs. But the beauty of summertime soups is that many can be made by using raw ingredients that can be blended all together to create a luscious soup to be enjoyed in the heat. Meaning you don’t have to sit over a hot stove waiting for the ingredients to combine. So not only are summer soups fresh and healthy, but they are a great option for those pushed for time amongst us.
Summer soups are a great way to get creative and rid yourself of any preconceived notions of what soup should be. You need to disregard the idea that soups are made in a large pot that must boil for hours and hours. By using simple cooking techniques, and ingredients found in many pantries, soups can be made to still be hearty but without the full comfort feeling you get with say a winter fasoulatha, or a thick yet simple pumpkin soup.
If you add in grains and pulses to a summer soup, you can create a filling dinner that can also be economical if you can create a big batch to last your for a week, or to feed a large family. Adding a dollop of Greek yoghurt creates a lovely cooling agent for the soup and also provides the thickness and richness you get in a soup that is normally blended with cream in winter.
Nuts are always a healthy option to ensure your soup features the good fats that you need to maintain a healthy balanced diet.
Gazpacho is the classic of cool summer soups. The Spanish / Portuguese tomato-based vegetable soup is served in summer due to it’s refreshing qualities. But you can Greekify even this Andalusian iconic appetizer by adding some ouzo and fennel. There are now so many variations available to gazpacho – so much so that they are summer soups in their own right. People are replacing the tomato base for avocados, grapes, cucumbers even watermelon. Various takes on gazpacho are forging an identity of their own in modern cuisine.
Summer soups are also a great dinner party appetiser option. Take the Bloody Mary soup for example. Another tomato-based soup, the mixture is given some punch with grated horseradish included. If you have adults only coming to the table, pop in a nip of vodka and serve in a shot glass. Not only will the presentation of the Bloody Mary soup impress your friends, but the taste sensation will cool them down in time for the mains.
Try using a brightly coloured Asian soup ladle to serve up an almond soup for your dinner guests/ Cold cucumber mint soup not only uses the seasonal summertime produce but the flavours are synonymous with Greek culinary delights. All you need to do is blend the ingredients – cucumber, mint, Greek style yoghurt – and let it chill overnight. Serve up with some diced cucumbers and fresh mint as a garnish and you have yourself a quick and easy soup option that is a healthy summer food alternative.