"gazpacho" news and stories

Chilled Summer Soup. Photo: The Skinny Chef

When the summer heat wave hits, I start to think about recipes that don't require the oven or stove top. Chilled, blended summer soups can be really flavorful, are easy to make and only require a few fresh seasonal ingredients. I like to use an immersion blender to put them together but an old-fashioned blender works just as well.

All these healthy, fast soups can be made hours in ahead and tweaked to your own taste. For a picnic, use disposable paper drinking cups. Or for a more elegant presentation, serve them in chilled shot glasses or espresso cups passed on a little tray. If you're headed to the beach, pour the soups into a thermos and pack it in your beach bag.

Gazpacho is always in Gena's fridge during the summer.

Part of a continuing summer series by grilling expert Gena Knox.

Tomatoes are in season and that means summer is officially here! Homegrown tomatoes straight from your garden or farmers market are so full of flavor; something as simple as a drizzle of oil, good balsamic and fresh herbs are all you need to make a spectacular side dish.

Rarely will you not find a big bowl of fresh gazpacho in my fridge during the summer months. It is easy to make and will stay fresh for several days.

Why do I love this chilled Spanish soup so much? You can easily make any recipe your own by adding or substituting different herbs, vinegars, fruits or vegetables -- so no batch will taste the same. Create a thicker gazpacho by pureeing toasted bread in the soup or serve fresh focaccia on the side for dipping.

Get Gena's Smoky Gazpacho recipe after the jump.

Expand your grill repertoire by incorporating grilled items into tasty summer soups.

• Grilled cheese - without the bread.
• How to make corn salad (video).
• Behind the scenes of the American Cheese Society conference.
• Should Sheryl buy a vacuum sealer for her fruits and fish?
• Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1959.
• This week's recipes: Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Salad, Spicy Gazpacho, New Potatoes with Capers and Basil, Crab and Avocado Verrine, and Buttery Almond Crisps.

A poached prawn is not exactly a traditional component of vichyssoise. The thick and creamy chilled leek and potato soup is almost always simply garnished with a sprinkle of chives, but Jocelyn at Kuidaore, wanted to accent her version of vichyssoise with the prawn and a few drops of prawn oil. The fishy flavor stands out beautifully against the mild soup, just as the contrasting color of the prawn does, and transforms a good dish to a great one for seafood fans. The soup is velvety and smooth thanks to a large amount of butter and cream, but there are lighter versions available that preserve the flavors of the dish while saving a few calories. No matter which version you choose to make, the soup is a wonderful addition to your recipe file and a nice change of pace from gazpacho when you want a cold soup in summer.

Source