Ingredient Spotlight: Chilled Soups

Summertime is here and you are probably not thinking about soup, but you should be thinking about chilled soups. Many of the summer vegetables that are available right now can be used for a decadent cold soup. Fruits that are out now such as berries, stone fruit, and melons can also be used for a chilled dessert soup, but we’ll save that for another post.

 Some kitchen secrets for keeping your green vegetables like asparagus, English peas, and watercress a vibrant green color when you purée them for a soup. One of the best tricks is to quickly blanch the vegetables in boiling salted water then quickly shock in a water bath before you purée. Another option is to cheat and add a little bit or raw spinach or parsley to the blender with the other vegetables. To keep avocado soup a nice shade of green without turning brown, add a little bit of acid such as lemon or lime juice or champagne vinegar.

• Chilled Asparagus Soup- Garnish ideas- asparagus tips, cherry tomatoes, crème fraîche or crab. Asparagus Soup recipe by Emeril. 
• Chilled Avocado Soup- Garnish ideas- crab, shrimp, lobster, or tomatoes. Avocado Soup recipe by Food And Wine.
• Chilled Beet or Borscht Soup- Garnish ideas- julienned vegetables such as squash or carrot or a chiffonade of young beet greens or a horseradish crème fraîche. Chilled Beet Soup recipe by Cookstr.
• Chilled Corn Soup- Garnish ideas- crab, shrimp, lobster, salsa, or a pancetta pinwheel. Corn Soup recipe by Thomas Keller via LA Times.
• Chilled Cucumber & Buttermilk Soup- Garnish ideas- tomatoes, dill, basil, or mint crème fraîche. Cucumber Soup recipe by LA Weekly.
• Chilled English Pea Soup- Garnish ideas- ham hock, dill, chive oil, croutons, or crème fraîche. English Pea Soup recipe by James Beard Foundation.
• Gazpacho- Garnish ideas- croutons, basil oil, or diced vegetable such tomato, onion, and cucumber. Gazpacho recipe by Brown Eyed Baker.
• Chilled Sorrel Soup- Garnish ideas- crème fraîche or a roasted garlic flan. Sorrel Soup recipe by NY Times.
• Chilled Tomato Soup- Garnish ideas- croutons, pine nuts, fried basil, shaved parmesan cheese, or a parmesan crisp. Tomato Soup recipe by John Besh.
• Vichyssoise- Garnish ideas- tarragon oil, chives, fried garlic chips, or herb salad. Vichyssoise recipe by Anthony Bourdain via Food.com.
• Chilled Watercress Soup- Garnish ideas- croutons, crème fraîche, or a pancetta flan. Watercress Soup recipe by The Guardian.