Cold soups can be a great summer meal when it gets hot.
When most Austin culinary arts students think of soup, they probably imagine a steaming bowl of beer cheese and broccoli or a piping-hot cup of chicken and dumpling, but soup doesn’t have to be served hot. In fact, some soups should only be eaten cold, and some don’t need to be cooked to be enjoyed. If you’re looking for interesting dishes for the summer, adding cold soup to your day could be exactly what you need.
Why cold soups?
One of the best reasons to eat cold soups in the summer is because it’s hot outside. It can be a sad day when it’s too hot to eat a steaming bowl of chicken gnocchi, but just because it’s hot out doesn’t mean that you have to put away your deep bowls and soup spoons. Summer is a great time of year to get fresh herbs and spices, and making soup is an easy way to combine all of them together. Cold soups allow you to eat all the fresh produce summer has to offer at once.
What time of day are they appropriate?
While you probably wont be interested in eating cold soup for breakfast, lunch or dinner are great options. A cup of soup with a sandwich can make for the perfect lunch, while a big bowl of salmorejo can work for dinner. Cold soups are the perfect option if you’re looking for vegetarian meals. If you or a friend is vegetarian, a chilled bowl of tomato, almond and garlic can be exactly what you’re looking for.
What are your options?
For many people, the only cold soup they know is gazpacho. While gazpacho is a great option, if that’s the only type of cold soup you’re eating, you could be missing out on many great dishes. The possibilities are really endless. You can make peach, berry or mango soups easily with a blender. If you feel that you need some vegetables in your diet, consider making cucumber-dill soup or sweet corn and cashew chowder. In most cases the soup won’t actually have to be cooked and then chilled. Usually all you’ll need to make it is a blender, a large mixing bowl and all of the ingredients. The number of ingredients will vary and some recipes can get pretty complex. The next time you hang out with friends, consider making a batch of soup instead of grilling out.
