Cold soup

When it´s 35ºC in the shade and your flat features the small, windowless kitchen beloved of Spanish architects, making meals that don´t require you to turn on the oven is not laziness, it´s self preservation.  As turning on my oven results in clouds of acrid smoke and beads of perspiration pouring from places in my body that I didn´t even know could sweat, I have been exploring the world of gazpachos and other cold soups with particular interest.  Here are my findings:
1. Don´t bother making gazpacho if you haven´t got tip-top tomatoes.

There are many different versions of gazpacho, and all Spaniards believe that their mother´s recipe is the best.  As my mother  would have the same reaction to the idea of serving soup cold as Peter Kay´s father did to garlic bread (“garlic?” “on bread?”/ “soup?” “cold?”) the gazpacho you can buy in cartons in the supermarket chiller cabinet is the reference on which all my gazpacho comparisons are based.  And no, as yet I have not equalled Alvalle´s excellent version.  I haven´t managed to make a version that isn´t too watery, too bland, too salty, too lumpy or too thick, and that´s using seasonal, flavourful, sun ripened Spanish plum tomatoes.  I hate to think of the results that you´d get with watery or bitter English hothouse tomatoes.  I´ll let you know when I manage to crack the recipe…

2. Season, season and then season some more

When you serve food cold the volatile aroma molecules are released less easily than when hot so you need to flavour your cold soup well, and adjust seasoning after chilling.  This means that recipes that sound extreme, including raw garlic and sherry vinegar for instance, can taste balanced and delicious when chilled.

3. Texture is of the essence

I´ve tried making gazpacho with whole tomatoes without peeling and deseeding and I think it´s worth putting in that little extra effort of either preparing the vegetables to remove skin beforehand or sieving out the skin.  A powerful blender is also essential.  Bread soaked in water is good for thickening and giving a nice texture, avocadoes and cream also work well.

4. Serve really cold

You have to chill the hell out of these soups.  Tepid is not good. At least 3 hours chilling in the fridge is needed.  Ice cubes can be added if not quite cold enough but they will of course water down the soup.

Some of my most successful chilled soups have been the classic creamy leek and potato Vichyssoise – I won´t give you the recipe here as it´s easily googleable.  I will give you a garlic soup recipe – a classic that´s far nicer than it sounds and a mexican inspired avocado and mango soup.

Sopa de ajo con pepino (chilled garlic, cucumber and almond soup)

(Adapted from World Kitchen Spain)

The classic recipe doesn’t include cucumber but it’s addition makes it even more refreshing

Sopa de ajo with a swirl of olive oil and gazpacho

200g day old white bread
150g whole blanched almonds
2 cucumbers, peeled and deseeded
2-3 garlic cloves
125ml extra virgin olive oil
80ml sherry vinegar
350ml chicken or vegetable stock

Soak the bread in cold water for 5 mins, then squeeze out the liquid. Blitz the dry ingredients then add the oil in a steady stream until thick, add the sherry vinegar and stock.  season with salt. Chill and taste for seasoning and add more water if too thick.  Serve with diced cucumber or ham shreds, croutons and a drizzle of olive oil, oh, and a glass of chilled Fino sherry.
Mango and avocado gazpacho

1 avocado
1 mango
1 roasted red pepper, skin removed
1 cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
Juice of 3 limes
1 litre chicken stock
2 chilies
2 garlic cloves
1 sweet onion or white parts of a bunch of spring onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 bunch coriander

Peel everything with skin,  blitz it all in the blender, chill it, taste it for seasoning. Serve with a sprig of coriander on top with flour tortillas or tortilla chips.