The hot temperatures of summer are perfect for a cold soup, something that the Spanish would call a Gazpacho. The good thing about Gazpachos and other cold soups is that they are very convenient in their preparation. There is no cooking involved. Here is a recipe for one of my cold vegetable soups.
The following would serve 4 – 6 people as a first course:
1 large cucumber, peeled and de-seeded
1/4 honey melon, cut into cubes
1/8 red watermelon, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground almonds (peeled, not toasted)
1/4 cup of yogurt6 – 8 mint leaves
1/4 cup of virgin olive oil
15 ml dry sherry
salt and pepper to suit
to garnish: a few toasted almonds, crushed
some more mint leaves
Chop cucumber and the melons into small cubes. Chop the onion and crush the garlic roughly. Add salt, pepper and the finely chopped mint leaves. Let it all sit for 20 minutes. Put everything into a blender along with yogurt and mint, plus the olive oil, and blend until smooth. Add some bottled still water until it all feels creamy and soupy. Pour into a bowl and chill for 2 hours.
Before serving adjust consistency, i. e. add some more water or yogurt, if needed. Add seasoning, if necessary. Stir in the dry sherry, and garnish with the toasted almonds and some bits of fresh mint.
Enjoy.
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