Vegan Cooking Tips
Quick and Easy Ideas for Chilled Soups
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
Chilled soups can be refreshing or luxurious — and on a hot day, they can save your home from a steamy mealtime by keeping the stove off!
Extremely popular in the world of summer eats, gazpacho is kind of like chilled veggie soup that originated in the Andalusia region of Spain. Traditional gazpacho has a tomato base, made by puréeing ripe tomatoes, in a blender or food processor, with sweet onions, fresh garlic, fresh parsley or basil, and a small amount of oil and vinegar.
For those who prefer to drink their greens, gazpacho is the way to go! Create green gazpacho by puréeing fresh greens like spinach, kale, Romaine lettuce, or Swiss chard, with a small amount of prepared vegan pesto sauce. Add other fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and seasonings to taste.
White gazpacho is a refreshing and trendy option and can have a corn-zucchini-tofu base. Start white gazpacho by puréeing fresh zucchini with some canned creamed corn (the "cream" is cornstarch, rather than dairy) and a small amount of silken tofu, then add other veggies and herbs to taste. To thicken gazpacho, add crustless bread into the mix, blend, and allow to rest. The bread will create a thick, smooth texture.
Another great summer supper idea is cold pumpkin soup. Start by blending canned, unseasoned pumpkin with a very small amount of lite coconut milk. Cold pumpkin soup can be flavored with curry, puréed carrot, leftover mashed potatoes, orange or lemon zest, garlic powder, sesame oil drizzle, or puréed beans. Garnish with thinly slivered bell pepper slices or chopped almonds.
You can create a soy-based soup by blending silken tofu with fresh parsley, sweet onion, a small amount of tomato, garlic and onion powder, and white pepper. Using this base, make chilled potato chowder by adding pre-cooked potatoes and shredded raw veggies. Alternatively, start with the tofu base and whip up cold borscht by puréeing drained, canned beets into the soup. Feeling more like a Thai-inspired dinner? Use the same tofu-base beginning and add lemongrass, lime zest/juice, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil or cilantro.
