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Easy Soups for Summer
Here are some quick and practical summertime recipes. These are perfect for when you want to eat well, and enjoy the bounty of local produce without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
My Best Summer Vegetable Soup
The tomatoes in this soup are left raw; therefore they should be perfectly ripe and luscious. This provides an unexpectedly fresh taste to what at first glance seems to be an ordinary vegetable soup. If tomatoes are out of season, you can make this soup with tomato puree from a jar, and it will still be very good.
2 medium potatoes, 2 cups diced
3 medium carrots, 1 1/2 cups sliced
1/2 pound green beans, 1 1/2 cup broken into 1–inch pieces
2 small turnips, 1 cup diced
4 cups chopped turnip greens, from the 2 turnips, may substitute collard or mustard
2 cups water
6 bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, 3 medium
1/4 cup yellow miso
2 teaspoons basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Clean and chop the vegetables. Place them in a large, heavy kettle with the water and bay leaves. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered over low heat for 20–15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. To save time you can cook this soup in a pressure cooker. Just bring the pressure up until the pressure regulator rocks and let it cool down on its own.
While the vegetables cook, wash the tomatoes and cut them into big chunks. Place them in a blender and blend to a puree. Add the miso and blend again.
Add the tomato mixture to the soup along with the basil, balsamic vinegar and the white pepper. Mix and serve. You may reheat the soup, if desired, but don’t cook it.
Gazpacho Supreme
This gazpacho is a made in a juice extractor. The addition of carrots mellows the tomatoes and imparts a luscious sweetness to this refreshing, cold soup. Make sure that all the vegetables are chilled before you begin, and serve it as soon as possible after it is made. People have told me that this is the best gazpacho they have ever tasted. This serves 6.
4 medium tomatoes (or enough for 3 cups juice)
3–6 cloves garlic
4 medium–large carrots (or enough for 2 cups juice)
1 medium cucumber, grated
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped, very finely
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or lemon juice
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Aminos, or sea salt to taste
1 teaspoon dry basil, or 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
Core the tomatoes and run them through a juice extractor. Transfer both the juice and the pulp to a bowl. It is important that you juice the tomatoes before the carrots because you do not want the tomato pulp, that you will be using, to be mixed with the carrot pulp, which you will discard.
Run the garlic through the juicer. It is not necessary to peel it first. Start with 3 cloves, and if it is not strong enough, add more.
Juice the carrots and add the carrot/garlic juice to the tomatoes.
Add the remaining ingredients. Mix and serve cold.
Avocado Vichyssoise
Avocado takes the place of cream in this refreshing vegan delight. If you have some leftover mashed potatoes, it only takes a few minutes to make. This serves 4–6.
3 medium (6–7 ounces) red potatoes or 2 cups unseasoned mashed potatoes*
1 cup mashed avocado, 1 large or 2 small
3 cups unsweetened plain soy or milk
2/3 cup chilled water, or as needed
1/3 cup minced chives
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup grated cucumber, 1 medium
If you are starting with uncooked potatoes, scrub and dice them. If they are organic, you don’t have to peel them first. Steam or pressure–cook the potatoes until very tender and mash them with a little of the cooking water. Chill.
In a blender, blend together about half of the chilled mashed potatoes, with half of the avocado and milk. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency. Repeat with the remaining potato, avocado and milk. If you have a large blender, this can be done in one batch.
Pour the blended mixture into a bowl. Add the chives, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and top with grated cucumber.
Jamaican Beef Stew
This variation, with sweet potato and collards, is slightly spicy. Phytonutrient–rich turmeric gives it a golden hue. This makes a big pot of stew, but my husband and I can eat the whole thing in one sitting. Cook it in a pressure–cooker, if you have one, if not increase the water by 1/2 cup. This can serve 2–4.
1/2 pound collard greens (6–7 leaves)
1 large potato (about 3/4 cup)
1 large sweet potato (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons kuzu root starch
2 tablespoons cool water
2 tablespoons Bragg’s Amino’s
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1, 8–ounce package seitan, cut into bite-size pieces
Wash the collard greens. Finely chop the stems and coarsely chop the leaves. Place them in a pressure cooker or large, heavy kettle.
Scrub the potato and sweet potato and cut out any bad spots. Cut the sweet potato in larger chunks than the white potato because it cooks faster. Add the potatoes to the pan with the collards. Add the onion and the water.
Place the pressure cooker on high heat to bring up the pressure. Remove it from the heat and let it cool down on its own. The vegetables should be done. In an ordinary pan, cover and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Place the kuzu starch in a cup or small bowl. Add the cool water and let dissolve. Add the Braggs, lemon juice, turmeric and white pepper. Mix well and add to the stew. Mix again.
Add the seitan, mix and serve.
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