Hydrating, low-cal: Beat the heat with cold soups – Times of India
“Super quick, easy and comforting, cold soups are lighter than warm soups and are low on fat.To prepare a cold soup, you don’t need to turn on the gas stove, just toss in the ingredients in a blender, puree them, chill and it’s ready to devour,” says Neha Goyal, a food content creator. However, some cold soup recipes may require boiling or blanching of veggies and tempering. Chef Nishant Choubey says, “While globally known cold soups can be easily made in Indian kitchens using desi ingredients like bel or wood apple soup, turmeric soup, aam panna soup or a dal soup. Inclusion of millets or cereals in soups offers a host of benefits.”
Cucumber gazpacho is a no cook soup, perfect for summer afternoons (Pic: @culinarychaser)
Cold soup atlas: Slurp some globally know varieties
Gazpacho, Spain:
Gazpacho is a chilled tomato-based soup usually made with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and bread crumbs.
Vichyssoise, France:
This creamy soup is traditionally prepared with green onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken broth. Try out a vegan version without cream and chicken broth. It’s super light.
Borscht, East Europe:
A staple in Eastern European cuisine, borscht is a cold beetroot soup often served with a spoonful of sour cream. It can include other ingredients like potatoes, carrots, cabbage and herbs like dill.
Tarator, Bulgaria:
Tarator is a cold cucumber and yoghurt soup flavoured with garlic, dill and walnuts.
Gazpacho is a chilled tomato-based soup usually made with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and bread crumbs
‘Veggies-fruits add diverse profile of vitamins to diet’
“Cold soups are rich in fibre, minerals micronutrients, electrolytes and vitamins. By experimenting with different vegetables and fruits daily, one can get a diverse profile of vitamins. To increase the intake of iron, magnesium and potassium, one can go for a spinach and avocado cold soup or opt for a cold cucumber soup for hydration. Fruits like kiwi, oranges and watermelon can add a tropical flavour to a cold soup,” says Sakshi Salwan, a nutritionist and diet consultant.
‘Cold soups are refreshing’
Cold soups are not usually made with vegetables or fruits, so they tend to be rich in natural antioxidants and vitamins.
n They have a low-calorie, , refreshing and wholesome
n Due to the water content, cold soups keep you hydrated
n Help in keeping your skin and body healthy
— Inputs from Neha Goyal, food content creator and recipe developer
Try mango and coconut cold soup (Recipe by Reetu Uday Kugaji, culinary expert and consultant)
Mango-coconut cold soup is refreshing, nutritious and filling too (Pic: @chefreetuudaykugaji)
Go seasonal and local with a mango and coconut-based soup
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Chilling time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup of fresh Alphonso puree or puree of any sweet mango variety
- 2 cups of freshly extracted coconut milk
- 1 Green chilli
- 1 tbsp of gondhoraj juice
- 4 gondhoraj leaves
- 1/4 th tsp of salt
- 1/2 tbsp of honey
- 2 whole round chillies
- A sprig of fresh, tender mint leaves
- 1 tsp of black peppercorns, freshly toasted and crushed
Method
- In a saucepan, combine coconut milk and slit green chillies
- Simmer it for 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame
- Add gondhoraj leaves and stir. Let it steep for 15 minutes
- Strain the coconut preparation through a fine mesh strainer
- Reserve 4 tbsp of infused coconut milk
- Combine remaining infused coconut milk, mango puree, salt and gondhoraj juice
- Blend, until smooth
- Add salt. Stir and refrigerate
- Pour it into serving bowls
- Dress the soup with the reserved infused coconut milk and garnish with chilli flakes, crushed peppercorns and mint leaves
- Serve chilled with baked jowar crackers
Try the drumsticks-lauki cold soup (recipe by Meghna Kamdar, chef )
Drumsticks and lauki cold soup can be served with cheese toasts (Pic: @meghnasfoodmagic)
Ingredients
4 drumsticks cut into small pieces (remove hard skin)
1.5 cup water
100 gm finely chopped bottle gourd (dudhi/lauki)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
Salt as per taste
Some grated cheese
Some finely chopped colorful bell pepper
Some chilli flakes
Some oil/butter (to roast bread)
2 bread slices
Some crushed black pepper
1 lime juice
Method
Heat the pressure cooker, add 4 drumsticks cut into small pieces (remove hard skin) with 1/2 cup water
Add approx 100 gm finely chopped bottle gourd (dudhi) with 1/2 cup water
Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
Add salt as per taste
Cover the lid and cook up to two whistles
Open the cooker lid and stir the mixture with the help of a hand whisker
Keep stirring vigorously to mash veggies and make them pulpy
Take another pan and sieve the mixture with a strainer (add 1/2 cup water to sieve)
Add some crushed black pepper
Add 1 lime juice and cook until soup starts getting bubbles
Turn off the stove and pour it in a serving bowl and chill it
Try the green gazpacho (Recipe by Rekha Kakkar, a recipe developer and food content creator )
Green gazpacho is tangy and bursts with fresh flavours (Pic: @rekhakakkar)
Ingredients
10 small yellow tomatoes
1 English cucumber, peeled, chopped
3 tablespoons coriander/cilantro chopped
1 jalapeño pepper
1/2 green onions, trimmed, roughly chopped,
2 garlic cloves (optional)
1tsp apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Other than olive oil combine all the ingredients in a blender jar and blend everything till it becomes a smooth mixture
Serve it in a bowl garnished with thinly sliced baby tomatoes and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Enjoy with some toasted bread or as it is. It’s delicious
