Keep your soup to yourself
Photograph by Sam Armocido
I don’t like soup in summer.”
I’d throw someone under the bus for this comment but in all honesty I have heard it so many times I can’t pin down just one person anymore. And I get it, think of soup and the mind drifts to crisp fall days and creamy bowls of butternut squash soup topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of syrupy dark balsamic vinegar or pumpkin seed oil. Then it’s on to icy winter days and steaming bowls of brothy chicken noodle soup or beef stew. While this cooler weather may sound appealing on the oppressively humid dog days of summer, the hot and hearty foods that accompany it do not.
But wait, the heartiest, richest soups I can think of are those thickened with cream and potatoes, soups that we call bisques or chowders, and chowder certainly stirs summer memories of hot, sunny days at the beach (clam chowder) or sitting out on a picnic table in the still sultry shade (corn chowder).
So stop shunning summer soups. Enjoy the rich luxury chowders bring to summer’s farm and garden-fresh bounty. Enjoy them ahead of the cool salads and cold desserts that will refresh you later. Then throw some extra in the freezer for those cold winter days when a fond reminder of summer’s heat will be most welcome.
Corn and tomato bisque
Serves 6
Soup in summer? Sweet corn and rich cream get a bright burst from the acid in fresh summer tomatoes and a finishing splash of sherry vinegar. The corn’s starches reduce the need for lots of cream, keeping this soup a nice light, summer weight.
Ingredients:
4 ears of the freshest corn you can get your hands on, kernels removed
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
White pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg Sherry vinegar
Directions:
Spread corn on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven until edges
are golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Warm 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat in a 4 quart soup pot. Add onions and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer until fragrant. Add tomatoes to soup pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add toasted corn kernels to tomato mixture along with chicken or vegetable stock. Bring soup to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes longer, allowing flavors to blend.
Remove 1/2 cup of solids. Purée remaining soup with an immersion blender or food processor.
Add cream along with reserved solids, and stir through. Season to taste with pepper, freshly grated nutmeg, a splash of vinegar and salt.
TIP: Tomato seeds are hard, bitter and surrounded by water, qualities we ofter try to avoid in recipes like some salsas and this creamy, smooth soup. To quickly seed a tomato, cut it in quarters and scoop the seeds out with your finger.
