When a warm summer day makes us crave something cool, smooth, and creamy, we like to make . . . soup.  Chilled soup, that is.  A soup served cold is a perfect showcase for the flavors of summer produce and usually needs little (or no) cooking time. It has to be made ahead–so it has time to chill, and so do you–no slaving over a hot stove at serving time!

A few discoveries we’ve made in making and serving chilled soups:

• Many chilled soups are puréed, and the way you purée a soup will make a difference in its texture.  A blender produces a fine, velvety smooth texture, while a food processor creates a slightly rougher texture.
• The cold temperature at which you serve chilled soup can dull the flavors a bit, so season generously and recheck the soup’s flavor just before serving, adding more seasoning if it’s needed.
• When you put the soup in the refrigerator to chill, put your serving bowls for the soup in the refrigerator, too.  Serving chilled soup in cold bowls helps keep the soup at the right temperature.
• One of the best parts of serving chilled soups is adding a garnish.  We like edible flowers, a  drizzle of olive, chile, or nut oil, a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, crisp croutons, or a swirl of sour cream, creme fraiche, or Greek yogurt (which you can flavor with things like citrus zest, herbs, or puréed chiles).
• Check out a few of our favorite recipes for chilled soups with this link.

Serve your chilled soup masterpiece as a starter in shallow bowls, or as an appetizer in shot glasses handed around on a tray.  Or you can just enjoy a generous bowl of it as a main course with a salad, some good bread, and a crisp white or rosé wine, and make a toast to summer.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 28th, 2011 at 1:23 pm and is filed under Cooking with the Seasons, Tips and Techniques.