Three easy summer soup recipes

Times

14 hours ago

A s the Spanish know, a chilled soup can be the most refreshing of starters or light summer lunches on a hot day. And the easiest too — all the work is done in advance so you literally have only to decant it from the fridge. There's an obvious flaw for the British cook, though: how do we know, if planning a menu more than a day or two in advance, if the sun is going to behave? It's all very well banking on the weather in the Mediterranean, but here we need a plan B up our sleeves. So here is my answer: three delicious soups that are as good hot as they are cold. If you choose to serve them hot, simply reheat them gently but don't let them boil or they will lose their vibrancy.
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I love the vibrant colour of this soup; it makes me happy just looking at it. Beetroot is rich in antioxidants and high in nitrates — one of the best vegetables you can eat. Buy it fresh (not precooked) as the taste is so much better.
Serves 4
• 400g beetroot, boiled and skin removed • 1 tbsp olive oil• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped • 1 shallot, diced • Sea salt and black pepper • 1 litre vegetable stock • Juice of 1 lemon • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar • 1 tbsp crème fraîche
• 50g hazelnuts, roasted and roughly chopped
1. Chop the boiled beetroot into cubes. Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir in the celery, shallot and beetroot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat for 10 min.
2. Pour the stock and lemon juice into the saucepan. Stir and cook until all the vegetables are soft. Blend the soup in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the sherry vinegar to taste.
3. Serve hot or cold with a swirl of crème fraîche and a sprinkling of hazelnuts on top.
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AARON GRAUBART FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE. FOOD STYLIST: TONI MUSGRAVE. PROP STYLIST: LUIS PERAL
This is my take on a classic gazpacho. If I'm serving it cold, I'll garnish it with extra diced cucumber and spring onion. Hot, I might add a swirl of crème fraîche and chopped tarragon. If you want to make this more substantial, add some crispy croutons and scatter over some grated parmesan.
Serves 6
• 1kg very ripe tomatoes, diced• 100g slightly stale crusty white or sourdough bread • 2 red peppers, deseeded and diced• 1 cucumber, diced• 3 garlic cloves, crushed• 2 spring onions, chopped • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar• 200ml extra virgin olive oil• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche mixed with 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (optional)
1. Put the tomatoes, bread, peppers, cucumber, garlic, spring onions, sherry vinegar and olive oil in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
2. If using, add a swirl of crème fraîche and tarragon.
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AARON GRAUBART FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE. FOOD STYLIST: TONI MUSGRAVE. PROP STYLIST: LUIS PERAL
Frozen peas are brilliant. I'd always recommend them over peas in the pod, which lose sweetness quickly. A delicious vegetarian alternative to the pancetta is cubes of halloumi roasted and tossed in honey.
Serves 6
• 50g butter • 2 onions, peeled and chopped • 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped • 3 garlic cloves, crushed • Sea salt and black pepper • 1 litre hot vegetable stock • 1kg frozen peas • 2 tbsp fresh mint • 100ml double cream • 80g smoked pancetta
• Olive oil
1. Put the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once it has melted stir in the onions, potatoes and garlic. Season and stir. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Give it a stir every couple of minutes and check to make sure that the vegetables aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Leave to cook for 5 min.
2. Pour in the hot stock and allow to cook uncovered for about 15 min. Pour in the frozen peas and cook for 3 min. Add the mint and cream and cook for another minute.
3. Blend the soup in a food processor and taste for seasoning.
4. Cook the pancetta in a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until crisp, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen roll to drain off the excess oil.
5. Serve the soup hot or cold, with a sprinkling of the crispy lardons on top.
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