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Cold Soups Take The Edge Off Hot Weather Days
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Chilled Cucumber-Buttermilk Soup Minted Peach And
SOUP NOTES Many chilled soups, like gazpacho, were developed in the Mediterranean region, where summers are long and hot. But even in more northern climes, chilled soups are common. Eastern Europe has deeply-flavored beet borscht and chlodnik, and the sorrel soup, shchäv. Chilled fruit soups are popular in Scandinavia, and possibly the most famous cold soup - vichyssoise - was created by a French chef. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), which recommends a mainly plant-based diet, says marketing experts expect cold soups to soon account for as much as 20 percent of the commercial soup market.
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Nothing beats
a bowl of chilled soup to refresh you on a sweltering summer day. Cold soup can be as
varied as the produce at your local market. Venture beyond gazpacho, possibly the most
familiar, and explore chilled soups made with fruits as well as vegetables. Using just one
type, especially with fruit, produces rich, intense flavor. Mixing a variety of fruits or
vegetables creates an intriguing, complex taste that also refreshes. Cold summer soups can start a meal or make a snack. Poured into a portable mug, they make a great grab-and-go alternative to a smoothie. If you're serving an elegant dinner, ladle it into glass bowls for an appetizer. And if you're bringing the soup to a potluck picnic, store it in a thermos to keep it cold. Once chilled, soup loses some of its flavor, so check the taste before serving and add more seasonings if it is bland. Cold soup also tastes best when consumed within two days. If the mixture separates during refrigeration, whirl the soup in a blender before serving. You can make most cold soups by puréeing uncooked fruits or vegetables in a blender. Surprise your guests by serving a colorful cantaloupe soup. Combine small cubes of a large cantaloupe or honeydew melon in a pot with 1/3 cup white grape juice and bring to a boil. Purée the mixture in a blender and add honey and lime juice to taste. For another refreshing soup, blend the flavors of pears and raspberries with cran-raspberry juice and a dash of cinnamon. Garnish servings with a few berries and a dollop of yogurt. Cold soups are colorful, which coincides with current advice to put as much of the rainbow on your plate as you can. The more colors of fruits and vegetables you eat, the more cancer-fighting phytochemicals you get. Chilled vegetable soups have grown in popularity for summer eating because they offer refreshing ways to start a meal or take the edge off hunger with a "grab-and-go" snack. Low in calories, rich-tasting and easily prepared, chilled soups are a convenient way to help reach the five to nine daily servings of vegetables recommended for optimum health. Capitalize on the current flood of summer harvests with a cold vegetable soup. Simmer zucchini, green pepper and onion in just enough water to allow the vegetables to soften. Drain and place the vegetable mixture in a blender. Purée with a touch of parsley and dill, plus enough chicken broth to achieve a smooth soup. Chill and garnish with chopped dill and low-fat sour cream. AICR
EASY-TO-BE-GREEN GAZPACHO 1 cup fat-free chicken or vegetable broth *Either white or soft whole-wheat bread can be used. Place first 10 ingredients in blender and purée until smooth. Add oil, lime juice, cumin, sugar and bread. Blend until smooth. Let mixture stand 2 minutes to allow bread to absorb liquid. Purée again until smooth. Season to taste with salt, hot sauce and more chilies and lime juice, if desired. Transfer to bowl or pitcher and chill until very cold. Before serving, check seasoning and add more, as desired. Garnish with chives, if desired, and serve. Makes 5 2/3 cups or 6 servings. Per serving: 97 calories, 4 g Total Fat (< 1 g Sat Fat), 12 g Carb; 4 g Protein, 5 g Dietary Fiber, 324 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Veg; 1 Fat.
COOL
'N CREAMY BEET SOUP 2 cups thinly-sliced green cabbage Put cabbage, celery, carrots and onion in a large pot. Pour in 1/2 cup broth, bring to a simmer and cook gently until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in beets and their liquid, 1 3/4 cups broth and tomato paste. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Remove 1 cup of the beets and set aside to cool. Add remaining broth to soup and pureé in blender or food processor until smooth. Gradually add sour cream and blend until smooth. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Dice cooled beets and stir into soup. Chill soup, covered, until just barely cold. (If too cold, its subtle taste won't be appreciated.) Serve soup with chives sprinkled on top for garnish. (Soup may be stored refrigerated up to 4 days but should be left standing to take off chill before serving.) Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 97 calories, < 1 g total fat (0 g Sat Fat); 18 g Carb; 5 g Protein; 3 g Dietary Fiber; 591 mg Sodium. Exchanges: 3 Veg.
CHILLED
CUCUMBER-BUTTERMILK SOUP 5 cucumbers (about 2-3/4 pounds) Peel cucumbers; cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Place cucumber shells on a paper towel; sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt evenly over both sides of cucumbers. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain; coarsely chop. Combine cucumber, green onions, and next 7 ingredients. Place one-third of mixture in container of an electric blender; process 1 minute or until smooth. Pour into a 3-quart container. Repeat procedure twice with remaining mixture. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 11 cups. Per (1-cup) Serving: 109 Cal; 5 g Total Fat (3 g Sat Fat): 11 g Carb; 19 mg Cholesterol; 279 mg Sodium; 6 g Protein; 2 g Fiber. Exchanges: 1 Veg; 1/2 Milk; 1 Fat.
CARROT
SOUP A L'ORANGE Vegetable cooking spray Coat a small Dutch oven with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add onion, and sauté until tender. Dissolve bouillon granules in water, and add to Dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Transfer mixture in batches into container of an electric blender or food processor; process until smooth. Repeat with remaining mixture. Pour into a bowl; cover and chill thoroughly. Makes 6 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 70 Cal; Trace of Fat; 17 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 90 mg Sodium; 30 mg Calcium. Exchanges: 2 Veg; 1/3 Fruit.
TOMATO
SOUP WITH BASIL Vegetable cooking spray Coat a Dutch oven with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add tomatoes, onion, and celery; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients except basil, to Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture in batches into container of an electric blender or food processor; process until smooth. Stir in chopped basil. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 60 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 13 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 116 mg Sodium; 126 mg Calcium. Exchanges: 3 Veg.
TROPICAL
GAZPACHO 2 tsp grated lime rind Combine all ingredients; cover and chill. Makes 8 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 124 Cal; ,1/2 g Total Fat; 31 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 3 mg Sodium; 1 g Protein; 3 g Fiber. Exchanges: 2 Fruit.
MINTED
PEACH AND CHAMPAGNE SOUP 3 pounds fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and
coarsely Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until peaches are tender. Remove from heat; let mixture cool slightly. Transfer peach mixture to container of an electric blender; add mint. Top with cover, and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cover and chill thoroughly. To serve, add champagne to peach mixure; stir gently. Ladle soup into individual bowls. If desired, garnish with fresh peach slices and fresh mint sprigs. Yield 6 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 136 Cal; Trace of Fat; 16 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 4 mg Sodium; 3 g Fiber; <2 g Protein. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Starch.
CHILLED
HONEYDEW SOUP 5 cups cubed peeled honeydew melon (about
1/2 large Place melon in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl occasioinally. Transfer melon to a large bowl. Stir in orange juice and next 3 ingredients. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Garnish with grated lime rind. Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 108 Cal; Trace of Fat; 16 g Carb; 00 mg Cholesterol; 21 mg Sodium; 1 g protein; 1 g Fiber. Exchanges: 1-1/2 Fruit.
COLD CHERRY
SOUP 1-1/2 cups water Combine water, wine, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir well. Add cherries and raspberries. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until fruit is soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool. Position steel cutting blade in food processor bowl. Add fruit mixture and orange rind. Process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula between pulses. Strain purée through cheesecloth and discard seeds. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Combine 1/2 cup of the cherry purée with the yogurt in a small bowl and mix well. Spoon about 1/3 cup cherry-yogurt mixture into each of four small serving bowls. Set aside the remaining cherry-yogurt mixture --- you should have about 2 Tablespoons. Now take the remaining pure cherry purée --- you should have about 1/2 cup --- and divide it evenly among the four serving bowls, spooning it over the cherry-yogurt mixture in each bowl. Do not stir. Divide remaining 2 Tablespoons cherry-yogurt mixture evenly among the 4 bowls by placing dollops on top of the cherry purée in each bowl. Pull a wood toothpick through dollops to make a pattern. Chill for about an hour. Makes 4 stunning Servings. Per Serving: 136 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 24 g Carb; 4 mg Cholesterol; 42 mg Sodium; 4 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Fruit; 1/4 Milk.
CANTALOUPE
SOUP 5 cups cantaloupe chunks (about 1 medium) Place cantaloupe and orange juice in container of an electric blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Combine yogurt, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon mint; add to cantaloupe mixture and stir well. Cover and chill thoroughly. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with fresh mint sprigs, if desired. Makes 6 (3/4-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 80 Cal; 1 g Total Fat; 16 g Carb; 2 mg Cholesterol; 39 mg Sodium; 85 mg Calcium; 2 g Fiber; 3 g Protein. Exchanges: 1 Fruit.
FRESH BERRY
SOUP 2 cups fresh raspberries *You can substitute a compatible fruit juice for the wine Place berries in container of an electric blender or food processor; process until smooth. Press berry mixture through a sieve lined with two layers of cheesecloth; lift cheesecloth from sieve, and squeeze to drain remaining juice. Discard seeds. Return puréed berry mixture to container of blender. Add yogurt, orange juice, wine or juice, and orange rind; process until smooth. Pour into a bowl; cover and chill thoroughly. Sift powdered sugar over soup before serving. Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 150 Cal; 1-1/2 g Total Fat; 30 g Carb; 3 mg Cholesterol; 40 mg Sodium; 133 mg Calcium; 4 g protein. Exchanges: 2 Fruit; 1/2 Milk.
CHILLED
APPLE SOUP 3 cups peeled, coarsely chopped Rome apples Combine apple, cider, and 2 Tablespoons sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until apple is tender. Let cool slightly. Transfer apple mixture to container of an electric blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Combine apple mixture, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and vanilla in a medium bowl, stirring well. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Combine remaining 1 Tablespoon sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag. Coat bread cubes with cooking spray; add cubes to sugar mixture in bag. Seal bag; shake until cubes are coated. Place cubes on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring once. Let cool completely. To serve, combine apple mixture and yogurt, stirring well. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top evenly with toasted bread cubes. Makes 4 (1-cup) Servings. Per Serving: 241 Cal; 2 g Total Fat; 55
g Carb; 4 mg Cholesterol; 90 mg Sodium; 28 mg Calcium; 3 g Protein;
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