If you’re tired of salads (or smoothies) as a cool way of getting your fresh raw veggies, think about chilled soups for the hot summer months for a refreshing change of pace.
Sure, everyone has heard of gazpacho – what a fabulous summer soup! Lots of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, scallions, garlic, and cilantro, all blended together with some vinegar or lemon juice for tang. What a great first course!
But I’ve got a chilled soup for you that’s even simpler, with a lot more elegance, and the added boost of protein.
In fact, I wouldn’t be afraid to serve my concoction as a first course at a summer dinner party when I was short on time – and guess what? I have!
My Creamy Summer Tomato Soup takes 5 minutes to make and only needs an hour to chill.
Its creamy tang comes from a wonderful new product, Organic Valley’s Grassmilk Yogurt, and its richness comes from the fact that this is Whole Milk Yogurt.
For many years, I have been minimizing the fat in any dairy that I eat in order to keep trim. Surprisingly, there’s research that shows that consuming whole milk products can actually help you lose weight and stay thin. Check out this NPR Broadcast “The Full-Fat Paradox: Whole Milk May Keep Us Lean” which suggests that consumption of whole milk dairy products may be associated with reduced body fat.
Since I’m a part-time vegan, I want to make the few times a week that I choose to eat dairy really count in terms of taste, flavor, mouth feel, and overall satisfaction.
As for the tomato juice base, you have a couple of options. My old standby was low-sodium V8 juice, but I know that a lot of the veggies it uses are on the Dirty Dozen list, which concerns me.
I have found that R.W. Knudsen makes an excellent Very Veggie Organic Juice, as well as a Very Veggie Low Sodium Organic Juice, which I would suggest you consider if you’d like to stay organic and still try this soup.
The recipe for my Creamy Chilled Tomato Soup follows below – but wait . . . there’s more!
Tonight I concocted another chilled soup with cantaloupe, Sriracha, lime, mint, honey, and . . . wait for it . . . Blueberries!
I call it Spicy Chilled Melon Soup.
It was zesty, refreshing, and a welcome change from the ubiquitous salads that often accompany our evening meals.
My hubby and son loved it . . . and I think you will, too!
Since I can only publish one recipe with every post, my loyal subscribers will be getting Spicy Chilled Melon Soup in their inbox shortly.
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I hope these two chilled summertime soups will give your family two refreshing ways to eat the fresh fruits and veggies they need for good health!
- 1-2 small organic cucumbers, peeled and seeded
- 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 quart of tomato-based vegetable juice (V-8 if you don't care about organic or Knudsen's Very Veggie if you do)
- 1 cup yogurt (I used Stony Field Farms Whole Milke Grass-Fed Yogurt)
- Juice from ½ lemon
- Fresh minced dill, chives, parsley, or basil (any or all - your choice!)]
- Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Using a food processor or a good blender, blend the first six ingredients.
- Stir in the herbs, along with the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings
- Chill for at least an hour
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