The Soup Diaries

Hot enough for ya?

It’s 100 degrees out right now and I’m in a midday torpor, thinking of chillin’ soups for refreshment and revival. Here are some hot tips for chillin’ soups:

1. Serve them super-cold, preferably half frozen with some ice crystals or poured over a few ice cubes.

2. Add enough water to create a thin consistency. Then adjust seasoning to taste. 3. Brighten flavor with a balance of sour and salt. What’s sour: vinegar, lemon or lime juice, and tangy dairy products (like sour cream, yogurt and buttermilk). Salt is, well, just salt, and for these recipes fancy salts work the same as plain table salt. But watch the quantity. Add a pinch at a time and taste, taste, taste.

4. Add some chilies. That may seem counterintuitive, but the heat from chilies comes from the chemical capsaicin, which tricks the body into thinking it is on fire and needs to cool down, producing sweat and stimulating endorphins and pleasure, triggering dopamine. A win-win-win situation!

I am in love with Aleppo pepper flakes. Aleppo pepper is moderately spicy with a rich, non-assertive flavor. It’s great as a garnish. You can find Aleppo pepper flakes in Prescott at One Root Tea and Herbothecary, 500 West Gurley. 928-778-5880

Chillin’ Soups

Chilled Yogurt Barley Soup‍

Makes 5 cups

½ cup dry pearl barley simmered in 3 cups of water till tender (about 40 minutes), then chilled
1 white or yellow onion, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon pepper, to taste
Aleppo or hot pepper flakes to taste
¼-1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk or thinned sour cream
Garnish: sweet paprika, finely chopped parsley and mint leaves

First cook the barley, using ½ cup dry, simmered in 3 cups of water till tender. This will take about 40 minutes. Then chill for a couple of hours. Meanwhile, finely chop one white or yellow onion, 1 heaping tablespoon of fresh parsley and 1 of mint. Heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and add the onion, Sauté till the onion is slightly colored. Add the parsley, mint, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the barley and any cooking water. Stir together, then add yogurt. Mix together, taste and adjust seasoning. Add a pinch or two of hot pepper. I recommend Aleppo pepper, which is full-flavored but only medium-hot. Chill super well; put it in the freezer for an hour. Serve in small bowls garnished with a sprinkling of sweet paprika (or maybe more Aleppo pepper) and finely chopped parsley and mint.

Watermelon Gazpacho

‍Makes about 5 cups

½ of a medium watermelon, cut in half, seeded and coarsely cubed (1 pound of watermelon pieces)
1 large (about ½ pound) fully ripe tomato, cut into large pieces
½ red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ cup toasted almonds
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 green jalapeno or serrano (more or less to taste), stem removed
Garnish: ½ cup yogurt, buttermilk or thinned sour cream and finely chopped sweet or hot red pepper

Put all ingredients except the garnish in a blender or food processor and buzz till smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill exceedingly. Serve splashed with garnishes.

Indian Cucumber-Yogurt Soup

‍Makes about 6 cups

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½-1 jalapeño pepper, minced (to taste)
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Aleppo pepper flakes to taste
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder or garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups plain yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)
1 large cucumber, grated
Water and or ice cubes to thin and chill
Garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño pepper (if using), ginger, and garlic, and sauté till the garlic is soft and the oil is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add spices and salt and stir for another minute. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Add yogurt, grated cucumber and water to thin. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve topped with fresh cilantro.