Soup is one of my favorite foods. Sometimes the weather dictates what kind of soup I want, although I have been known to enjoy a steaming bowl of broth on a sultry summer evening. If a craving for gazpacho strikes me, I sometimes will toss together this simple uncooked soup on a cold rainy day.
Some soups, such as cream of cauliflower, carrot and ginger, and leek and potato, can be served either hot or cold. With the warm weather upon us, I like to keep a container of cool soup in the fridge to enjoy with sandwiches. Soup is a tasty dish to bring to the pool, tote to a friend’s beach house or serve at home.
Stock your pantry with cans or cartons of chicken or vegetable stock. These stocks are interchangeable in the recipes to follow. Any kind of fresh vegetable can be cooked, puréed and turned into soup in a matter of minutes. I always keep canned San Marzano tomatoes and jars of roasted red peppers on hand for impromptu and easy-to-make soup.
Summer soups are lighter and fresher than their winter cousins. Fresh and dried herbs and spices can turn a simple puréed soup into something unusually delicious.
Here are recipes for some of my favorite warm-weather soups.
Cream of Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, cut into pieces
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken or vegetable stock or 1 (28-ounce) package chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions:
Place the cauliflower in a glass lasagna pan. Sprinkle a bit of water over the cauliflower. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the pan from the microwave, uncover and allow to cool.
Place the cauliflower in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the cauliflower has the consistency of baby food. You may want to add a bit of stock to the processor as the cauliflower purées.
Place the cauliflower in a saucepan. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the cream or half-and-half, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
If serving cold, place in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight. Pass grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: If the soup appears a bit thick, you can add about a cup of water. Instead of adding grated cheese, you can add curry powder to taste. You also can substitute 1 head of broccoli for the cauliflower.
Leek and Potato Soup
Ingredients:
2 large leeks
1 small onion, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken stock or 1 (28-ounce) package vegetable stock
3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Leeks tend to be sandy so wash well. Slice the leeks and set aside.
Melt the butter over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the diced leeks and onions and sauté until the leeks and onions are translucent, about five minutes or so. Remove the leeks and onions to a bowl and set aside.
Pour the stock into the same saucepan. Place the potatoes in the saucepan, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender but not overcooked.
Add the leeks and onions to the soup pot. Simmer and add the light cream or half-and-half, kosher salt and pepper. Taste and correct for seasoning.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: You can purée this soup, in batches, for a creamy consistency. It is delicious hot or cold.
Carrot and Ginger Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (3-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced, or a good sprinkling of powdered ginger
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken or vegetable stock or 1 (28-ounce) package chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Melt the butter over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the carrots and ginger and sauté for about five minutes. Place the carrot/ginger mixture in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the steel blade and purée until the mixture looks like baby food.
Place the carrot/ginger mixture back into the saucepan. Add the stock, kosher salt and pepper and heat through. You can serve this soup hot or cold. You can add a bit of light cream or half-and-half for added richness.
Simple Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) jars roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained and cut into strips
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken stock or vegetable stock or 1 (28-ounce) package chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Snips of fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Place the peppers in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the steel blade. Leave a few strips out of the bowl to use as a garnish. Purée the peppers until they have the consistency of baby food.
Place the puréed peppers in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the stock and simmer for a few minutes. Add kosher salt and pepper, to taste. If serving hot, bring the soup to a simmer. Add snips of fresh basil and serve. Garnish each bowl with some red pepper strips.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: This soup is delicious cold but don’t serve it straight from the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Scallion and Radish Soup
Ingredients:
2 bunches scallions, washed and thinly sliced
2 bunches radishes, washed and thinly sliced
2 (15-ounce) cans vegetable stock or 1 (28-ounce) package vegetable stock
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and blend well. Place in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight. Serve cold.
Serves four to six.
Note from Phyllis: I am using sliced scallions and radishes more frequently in my salads. It occurred to me that they could be turned into an instant cool soup. The soup is delicious and I prefer to use vegetable stock in this recipe, although chicken stock can be used.
