Cool Soup for a Warm Summer Day

Want to really impress your guests? Serve them a cool bowl of soup on a warm summer day. With the right recipe, a delicious cool soup can be even more enticing than a piping hot one!

Gaspatio tomato soup is definitely one of the most popular cool soup choices out there, but you can also make cool soups with a yoghurt, beet or even squash base. Here are a couple of important tips to follow when preparing cool soups:

• Avoid meats as they may contain bacteria (which heated soups would normally kill off).
• Purchase organic vegetables whenever possible and wash them thoroughly. If they are not organic, consider peeling the vegetables, since peels tend to absorb a lot of pesticides.

This is one of my favourite soup recipes below – served best at a chilled temperature.
Next week you’ll discover some irresistible flavour combinations for colourful summer salads.

Cold Yogurt and Cucumber Soup
Preparation time:20 minutes
Serves: approximately 6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 lb seedless cucumber, peeled and cut
• ¼ medium red onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1 jalapeño seeded, stem removed and chopped
• 8 large mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 6 ounces of non-fat plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of water
• Garnish: 1 medium red plum tomato seeded and chopped mint leaves


Cooking instructions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor with water.
2. Pulse a few times so the ingredients are coarsely chopped, then process until soup is very smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
3. If necessary, add more water to your desired consistency.
4. Transfer into a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours until chilled or overnight.
5. Pour soup in chilled soup bowls. Garnish with chopped tomatoes and a mint leaf. Serve immediately.

Looking for more inspiration from Sonya - check out Eco Chefs!