Post ID: 727

Refreshing summer soup with crema

Last week it was in the high 80’s and up to the 90s in Vermont for five days straight. This may not seem too bad for many, but we are as ill-equipped for the heat as the south is for a snowstorm. Having little desire to take the risk of being cooked myself I decided to forego the stove and oven for all but quick dishes. I think I’ve mentioned before that I often do not decide what to make for dinner until I am at the store that afternoon. Sometimes I ask Darryl if he’s in the mood for something specific if I feel at first uninspired (not to mention hot)! His reply was brilliant: “Cold Soup.” After a quick scouring of the Internet I decided on a watermelon base for the soup. The soup and crema were so quick and easy to make — this will definitely be a go-to recipe for hot days. The only thing to remember is that while it is quick to make, it does need about an hour of chilling for best results. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooling Time: 60 minutes
Total time: 80 minutes

Ingredients

Soup
1 1/4 pound seedless watermelon
1 English cucumber (these are the long skinny ones)
2 large beefsteak tomatoes
1 jalapeno
3 spring onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar (sherry vinegar also works)
3 teaspoons sweet paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Crema
4 ounces feta cheese
1/2 coup sour cream
6 tablespoons whole milk

For Serving
3/4 pound seedless watermelon
1 English cucumber
1/4 cup almonds
salt and pepper to taste

How is this sustainable ?

Many of the ingredients can be bought locally and in season. Using organic dairy products further makes it sustainable, and the lack of meat and cooking saves on energy and more.

Instructions

Soup
  1. Remove rind from watermelon, then chop coarsely.
  2. Peel and coarsely chop cucumber.
  3. Remove seeds from jalapeno and slice.
  4. Clean and roughly chop spring onions.
  5. Combine watermelon, cucumber, tomato, spring onions, jalapeno, oil, and vinegar in a food processor and process until the mixture has a granular texture.
  6. Transfer to a bowl and season with sweet paprika, salt, and pepper.
  7. Cover and chill for at least one hour before serving.
Crema
  1. Mash feta into sour crem in a small bowl until mostly smooth, then whisk in milk.
To Serve
  1. Roast almonds in a small pan until golden brown, let cool.
  2. Cut watermelon and cucumber into bite-sized chunks.
  3. Divide cut watermelon and cucumber between bowls.
  4. Pour chilled soup into bowls.
  5. Top with crema and almonds.
  6. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Yum
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