With temperatures reaching 40°C and above in Sydney recently, when even the idea of food can warm us up, we really don’t want to think about cooking. But still, we need to eat.
These cool soups, in pretty colours, offer a fine answer to this dilemma. As they’re basically raw vegetables they can really count as health supplements, and apart from being good for us, they taste great too: cool, clean, fresh and energising.
The first recipe is a velvety gazpacho supplied by my beautiful Spanish friend Pazita, and the green soup is courtesy of another lovely friend, Laurence.
Blend them well and they become beautifully smooth and very easy to eat. Perfect to keep in the fridge for when cooking is out of the question.
PAZITA’S GAZPACHO
Serves 4
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red capsicum, seeded and chopped
6 very ripe tomatoes
50 gm almond meal, or mashed potato if you have some leftover
30 ml sherry vinegar, or to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Add garlic, carrot and olive oil to a blender and process well until pureed.
Add capsicum and continue blending until smooth. Add tomatoes and whiz until a smooth consistency is achieved. Add almond meal, or potato, and vinegar, pepper and salt.
Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
LAURENCE’S GREEN SOUP
Serves 4
2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, seed removed
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
2 cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 stems coriander
1 stem basil
2 stems mint
2 stems parsley
½ lime, peeled, flesh only
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Place all ingredients in a blender and process, adding water until the desired consistency is achieved.
The herbs can easily be varied depending on what you have on hand.
Prepare the soup in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.