Cold Soups Make a Delicious Meal When it’s Hot Out!
We are sharing the recipes of two delicious cold summer soups today. They are easy to prepare, will provide at least two servings of vegetables per portion and will make you feel full because they are packed with fiber. They need no cooking, and can be chilled in the fridge for a few hours, covered to avoid oxidization, before serving.
Green Avocado and Cucumber soup:
A 10oz avocado packs 14g of fiber, and a lot of good unsaturated fat – 30g – which lends creaminess to the soup. A medium cucumber will balance the calorie rich avocado with only 45 calories.
To prepare the soup you will need a food processor or a blender, to achieve a very silky texture.
You will start by blending the avocado, cucumber and lemon juice. At the end, add the broth until the soup is creamy. If you want a thicker soup, add less broth, and if you want a thinner soup, add more! Serve chilled with the scallions/chopped tomatoes as garnish.
To prepare 4 servings, you will need:
• 1 large cucumber or 2 medium, peeled, seeded and cut in small chunks
• 1 large or 2 medium avocados, very ripe and diced
• 2 scallions and a couple mini tomatoes finely chopped to garnish
• 1 cup of chicken broth.
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• Pepper and salt to taste
Some people like to add a dollop of sour cream, a few leaves of mint or cilantro…Be creative!
Red Tomato and Pepper Gazpacho:
To prepare this soup you will need a food processor or a blender, to achieve a very silky texture. You will start by blending the tomatoes, the garlic and the red pepper. Then you will add the bread, vinegar and olive oil. Once ready store in the fridge for a few hours. Serve chilled with chopped tomatoes, peppers etc as garnish to add color.
To prepare 4 servings, you will need:
• 4 to 5 medium very ripe tomatoes. No need to peel them
• 1 large red pepper. Get rid of the seeds and white ribs and cut in small chunks
• 1/2 a large cucumber, peeled and cut in chunks
• 3 slices of dried bread
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 4 tbsp. white or red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A pinch of chili pepper to taste (we use the Southern French “Piment d’ Espelette” which is not too spicy)
Enjoy, it makes a wonderful refreshing starter to any meal.