Here To Stay

I’ve made a resolution. From now on, when it gets hot outside – I mean unbearably, sticky, I-need-three-air-conditioners-in-my-living-room hot – I will make soup. Sounds counterproductive, I know, but I’m talking about chilled soup. It’s the easiest, most delicious way to beat the heat. I especially love this chilled tomato basil soup I concocted in my blender. It’s short on ingredients and prep time, but long on flavor and sustenance.

I don’t know about you, but I have an aversion to the oven during the summer. I need to avoid any and all things that make my apartment more stifling. I usually make sandwiches and salads and rely on other people to make my food (Bless you, delivery men of Brooklyn). But there’s something to this whole chilled soup idea. It’s healthy, fresh and satisfying. I think I’ve got a winner with this particular chilled soup. Is there anything better in the summer than tomatoes and basil? I don’t think so. I may even try chilled fruit soups, which were pretty popular back in the day but seem to have fallen out of favor in recent decades. I guess they went out with Jackie O. and dumbwaiters. In any case, this soup is here to stay.

I’m never starving when it’s really hot out, so I consider this a fantastic lunch. When I’m hungrier, I’d serve this as a first course at a barbecue or picnic. Oh, and the addition of Greek yogurt at the end packs a decadent punch. Feel free to omit it if you want, but I love the slightly creamy texture it adds.

Chilled Tomato Basil Soup

This is a very loose recipe, open for interpretation. If you’ve got a blender and some vegetables, you’ve got yourself some chilled soup.

Ingredients
4 Vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
1/4 of a small onion (don’t worry about chopping, as it will all get blended later)
3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
2 C chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
Dollop of Greek yogurt

Put tomatoes, onion, olive oil and 2 Tbs of vinegar in blender. I found that it’s best to pulse all the ingredients, rather than blend at a high speed. Otherwise, the soup turns into a pink mush. Yuck. When blended, run ingredients through a sieve to get rid of tomato skins. They don’t particularly bother me, so I skipped this part. Pour soup into a large plastic container, and stir in Greek yogurt. Chill for up to eight hours. Serve with fresh basil on top.