Smarter Living: Recipes

Cool down this summer with these three delicious cold soups!

Tomato and Cilantro Soup

Ingredients

• 2 pounds red-ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks and put through a food mill
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/2 cup minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients together, and chill the soup quickly, by putting it on ice or into the freezer.
2. Serve the soup very cold, or even partially frozen and slightly crystallized.

Serves 4.

Tarator

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• Salt
• 1/2 cup shelled walnuts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1 quart yogurt
• 1/2 cup cold water
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Minced fresh spearmint, for garnish

Method

1. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, and let it rest in a colander for 1/2 hour.
2. Press the excess moisture out of the cucumber. In a blender, blend at high speed with walnuts, olive oil, garlic and 1 cup of yogurt until the walnuts are ground fine. Add the remaining 3 cups of ypgurt and the water and blend briefly. Pour the mixture into a bowl, and stir in the cucumber.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill the soup well. Serve the tarator garnished with chopped mint.

Serves 4.

Hazelnut Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted and peeled hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 thin slices French or Italian bread, crusts removed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups ice water

Method

1. Put the hazelnuts, vinegar, garlic, and olive oil into a blender.
2. Soak the bread slices briefly in a bowl of water, then squeeze out the excess water and add the bread to the blender.
3. Add the ice water, and blend until the mixture is smooth.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the soup well chilled.

Serves 6.

Chilled Zucchini Curry Soup

Ingredients

• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 8 small or 3-4 large zucchini
• vegetable broth
• curry powder
• 1 onion
• 1 can coconut milk

Method

1. Sautee onion and chopped garlic cloves in a large pot
2. Cut zucchini into small pieces and add to pot
3. Add enough vegetable broth to nearly cover vegetables
4. Add curry powder (or your favorite spicy spice), then salt and pepper to taste
5. Set on a low boil for 25 minutes
6. Puré
7. Add one can coconut milk
8. Chill and serve

Serves 6

last revised 8/10/2011