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Don’t like vegetables? Are vegetables boring? So, on to the soup! But summer obliges, with cold soup! Several options are available to you… The small cold soup that treats in the spirit of gazpacho, combining vegetables, sometimes fruit and a pinch of olive oil. Warm soups made from vegetables, especially Mediterranean, that are left to cool to be enjoyed at any time of the day. Whole grain soups with pulses like lentils or beans and grains (quinoa, bulgur, etc.) that you can happily take to the office. Common denominator? They fill us with health and allow us to eat vegetables (or fruits) that are no longer in optimal condition.
Raw or cooked, melon, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, beets are perfect in recipes full of freshness. As for quantities, count on 150 to 200 grams of vegetables per person. The cheese and canned beans are added at the last moment, after pureeing the soup. Remember to save a few cubes of raw vegetables when you peel them and add them to the soup at the last minute. You can add baby spinach, lamb salad or stuffed arugula. If your soup requires broth, heat it in the microwave so you don’t waste time: put the water in it and boil it on high power. Then remove the container and add 1 or 2 cubes (2 cubes per liter). Stir well to thin them out. Feel free to present your soups in vegetable walls. It is famous for pumpkin, but try an individual presentation in small round courgettes like courgettes de Nice, nice big apples, half a melon or in coconuts.
To switch from fresh cream or milk, consider ricotta, mascarpone, cottage cheese, soy or coconut milk, fromage blanc or flavored fromage frais. And to change up the croutons and lighten up the plain soup, choose toasted pine nuts, chopped almonds, crushed hazelnuts, unsalted roasted pistachios, Krisprolls pieces or bread sticks. To add softness to the soup without weighing it down, grind stilton slices, parmesan shavings, crumbled feta, goat cheese, cheese/olive oil/mint quenelles and chopped basil, mozzarella balls, grated cheddar, tofu cubes…
If you can’t imagine a full soup without meat for you, add some sparkle with crumbled duck confit, slices of pancetta, slices of black or white pudding, fried Parma ham, pieces of pepperoni, slices of chorizo or small meatballs. The sweet and salty card is always good to play… Think diced dried fruit: apples, apricots, raisins, blueberries, dates, mango, papaya, figs, but also pieces of candied ginger, shredded coconut, fresh lemongrass.
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Flavor your soups
Just because a soup is liquid doesn’t mean you can’t add sauce to it. Like a drizzle of oil, flavor your soups with a spiral of fresh herb salsa that works on both cold and hot soups. Mix 2 tbsp. mint leaves, 2 tbsp. fennel leaves, 2 tbsp. tarragon leaves, 2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, 2 tbsp. watercress leaves and 2 tbsp. a tablespoon of basil leaves. Add 1 peeled and chopped shallot, 6 drained and rinsed anchovies, 2 tbsp. drained and rinsed capers, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbsp. mustard, 4 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix until slightly lumpy. You won’t find a better salsa verde. Feel free to make it in larger quantities and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer in batches that you can add to your stews to flavor them. A soup can be stored for a maximum of 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Vichy soise with a twist
Review the vichysoise by grinding the coconut. You need 3 slices of white leek + 2 coarsely chopped potatoes + 1 slice of onion + 300 ml of chicken broth + 250 ml of coconut milk + 1 stick of fresh cream + 1 tbsp. with olive oil + 1 tbsp. with butter + 1 pinch of Guérande salt + toasted coconut shavings (optional). Melt the butter in the oil over low heat. Leeks and onions are stewed without browning. Add the stock and salt and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes. Mix until a homogeneous puree is obtained. Fill with coconut milk and reheat. Serve with a drizzle of fresh cream and coconut flakes. Detonate! Simple and original decoration: cut a leek into matchsticks, sprinkle them with 2 tbsp. of the flour, toss well to coat, and fry for 30 to 45 seconds. Throw in the soup at the last minute.
White soup on the go
For food on the go and not expensive, consider the white soup, typically Italian. Take leftover 250g stale sandwich bread + 200g grated Parmesan + 50g Parmesan + 2L chicken stock (3 cubes). Remove the sides of the bread slices, cut the crumbs and put them through a blender until they are very fine. Mix the crumbs and grated cheese well. Bring 2 liters of stock to a boil in a saucepan. Over low heat, gradually add the bread and cheese mixture while whisking. Heat for about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and garnish with parmesan shavings. It can be eaten warm or cold whenever you like. Under the sun, choose watermelon, tomato and cucumber gazpacho. Mix 200g of watermelon flesh, 1 half of a cucumber, 1 tomato quartered without seeds, 1 clove of garlic and 1 head of white onion, peeled and finely chopped, the bread crumbs, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 pinch of cumin and salt. Nice book. Sprinkle with peanuts for crunch.
detox soup
Make a light and detoxifying soup based on cabbage, brown rice and star anise. The taste of anise is very refreshing and goes perfectly with cabbage. Heat 500 ml of vegetable stock with three star anise. Leave to cook for 15 minutes, covered. Add 200g of optional cabbage and continue to cook for 6-7 minutes. Put 100 g of cooked brown or wild rice. Even better the next day when the rice has absorbed more liquid and therefore flavor. Zucchini are easy in the summer but tender. To liven it up, add arugula for spiciness and pomelo or pink grapefruit for bitterness. Wash 200 g of arugula. Clean and dice 1 small zucchini. Cook the vegetables in 500ml vegetable stock for 15 minutes. 5 minutes after the end of cooking, add the grapefruit juice or an equivalent amount of juice. Puree the soup and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator. Sprinkle with citrus peels and a drizzle of oil before serving. Zucchini spins the perfect love with a mixture of black olives and sherry vinegar, or beautiful summer scallops sauteed in garlic butter, a white wine base and ground fennel. Add volume to your bowls by making salted whipped cream. Whip the cold cream into the whipping cream and add some salt and fine powdered spices – turmeric, sumac or oregano, or even matcha tea – for a sexy monochrome color on a green soup. Make a cold soup by mixing 500 ml of tomato juice with 300 ml of carrot juice, 100 ml of cranberry juice, 1 tbsp. with English sauce, 1 tabasco and a drizzle of honey. Serve with beautiful bread and some noble sausages.
Almond soup
Iconic of Andalusian cuisine, ajo blanco is a very elegant cold almond soup. You need 250 g of sliced almonds + 4 cloves of minced garlic + 30 ml of olive oil + 1 l of chicken stock + 2 cups of cubed white bread. For the filling, add 1 cup cubed white bread + 30ml olive oil + 12 white seedless grapes, halved. In a saucepan, fry the almonds before adding the garlic and oil. Add broth and bread. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir the soup before straining it through a strainer. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 10 minutes before serving, make the filling. Fry the bread cubes in the oil in a pan. Add salt and pepper. Ladle the cold soup into bowls. Garnish with green grapes and sliced bread. Drizzle with oil and serve immediately.
Fine cauliflower and lavender soup
For 4 people – Preparation: 20 min. – Cooking: 15 min
1 large cauliflower, cut into pieces I 1 chopped onion I 2 pressed garlic cloves I 1 tbsp. with chopped fresh ginger 750 ml chicken broth I 250 ml cream I 4 sprigs of lavender I 3 tbsp. with peanut oil I salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Heat some oil and sauté the onion, ginger and garlic.
- Add the cauliflower, cream and stock.
- Simmer until cabbage is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Season and stir.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Sprinkle with lavender before serving.