2 days ago
Chilled red pepper soup straight from Andalusia
I have always liked the idea of chilled soup. Granted, there aren't too many occasions when I crave it in the UK. It's not as if we have an Andalusian climate that calls for gazpacho on a daily basis. But, in those odd periods when it is sticky and hot and I can't quite figure out what I feel like eating, chilled soup hits the spot.
My repertoire is pretty limited, rotating between my mother's excellent cucumber soup and a spin on gazpacho that I make using cashews instead of bread. So I was genuinely pleased when reader Maureen Kennedy sent in her recipe for chilled red pepper soup, given here. It's a doddle to prepare and makes clever use of that brilliant shortcut ingredient, Boursin. I should add that I also tried the soup warm, which was rather lovely, too, so don't file the recipe away once summer ends.
If you are a fan of soup, hot or cold, here's a brilliant tip from another reader, Jeanette Mahon. She recommends making broth with the leftover bones from a Sunday roast chicken by popping them in the slow cooker with some vegetables. 'Let it simmer – the longer, the tastier – for a flavoursome and nutritious broth, which makes amazing soup,' she says. I couldn't agree more: homemade stock is a game-changer, particularly as so many shop-bought versions are packed with salt, artificial flavours and preservatives.
3 red peppers, £2.07; 150g Boursin Garlic & Herbs, £2.95
10g chives, £1; 1 onion, 12p
METHOD
Roughly chop the onion and deseed then roughly chop the red peppers.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Fry the onions and peppers with ½ tsp salt for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
Tip in 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
Transfer to a blender (or use a stick blender) and add the Boursin. Whizz until smooth, then taste and season as required.
Leave the soup to cool to room temperature then chill until cold. Serve with a few chives snipped over the top.
