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Soups for the summer - no meat or tomatoes

12 years ago

I'm planning my garden and think I need some inspiration for serving what would come out of it. I make lots of fresh tomato based soups but I'm looking for something different to try without tomatoes, and without using meat as an ingredient or for flavoring (bacon, pancetta, chicken stock, beef broth, etc.), hot or cold. Any ideas?
Nancy

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Comments (5)

grainlady_ks
12 years ago
As I mentally went through each month I harvest produce, there are soup recipes - cold and hot - for each vegetable when you start looking in the index of your cookbooks and do a search on each vegetable with "soup recipe" attached to it.

April: lettuce, radish

May: green onions, spinach

June: beans (snap), beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, eggplant, peas, potatoes, turnips

July: cucumbers, lima beans, melons, sweet corn, squash, tomatoes

August: peppers, onions

September - November: fall crops (many are a repeat of cool season crops) including beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, endive, kale, lettuce, pumpkin, radish, spinach, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, tomatoes

I'm sure there are vegetables I've left out, but it's because I don't grow/eat them (such as asparagus, okra, watercress....).
-Grainlady
teresa_nc7
12 years ago
Hey, Nancy!

For summer meals, I think of cool soups like cucumber yogurt, white gazpacho, strawberry, fresh garden pea and spinach. In my mind, any summer vegetable that would make a good cold dip or salad could probably be made into a soup.

In planning your garden for seed purchases, I'd try growing butternut squash if you have room for it. There are lots of good butternut squash soup recipes out there. My favorite has apples, onions, and curry powder to flavor the soup. Broccoli and zucchini in hot soup recipes would also be nice for a change.

We've got a snow day today and my office is closed! Yipee! Stay warm and safe in this lovely snow.

Teresa
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Here is a non-traditional gazpacho that we really like. Green Gazpacho Yield a scant 6 cups - serves 6 1-1/2 pound cucumbers (4 to 5 picklers or 2-1/2 large slicers) peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces (enough to yield 3 cups) 1 tablespoon kosher salt; more to taste 1 large yellow pepper 1 medium avocado 1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces (2 cups) 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; more to taste 3 ounces fresh crustless Italian country-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (2 cups) 1 teaspoon chopped garlic 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh basil or mint 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; more for garnish 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar Put the cucumbers in a colander over a bowl or in the sink and toss with 1-1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out the juices and remove any trace of bitterness. Meanwhile, core and seed the pepper and cut three-quarters of it into 1-inch pieces. Wrap the remaining quarter and refrigerate; youÂll need it later. Cut the avocado in half, peel one half and cut it into 1-inch chunks. Lightly coat the cut surface of the remaining half with oil, wrap it into plastic, and refrigerate for later. Rinse and drain the cucumber. Put the cucumber, pepper, avocado, onion, the remaining 1-1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a food processor and purÃ©e. Transfer the purÃ©e to a large bowl and reassemble the processor. Process the bread, garlic, and herbs until th bread is reduced to crumbs and the herbs are fully chopped. Add the oil and vinegar to the mixture and process briefly to thoroughly combine. Add the bread mixture and 1 cup water to the cucumber purÃ©e and stir until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Let come to a cool room temperature before serving. When ready to serve, peel the reserved avocado half and cut it into Â½ inch dice Cut the reserved pepper into 1/4 inch dice. Stir the soup and assess its consistency. If it seems too thick, add water until itÂs thinned to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the soup among shallow bowls and garnish with the avocado and pepper. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each bowl and serve. Fine Cooking, August/September, 2007
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Basil it is! I was too lazy to roast the veggies....and since the peppers had already been roasted and frizzed..in the "frizzer" LOL! I elected to do it easy. Ate some....waiting for it to cool so I can stash some in the freezer.... Debated adding some pasta....but then decided if I freeze it as is...it can have shrimp and rice or sausage and pasta or chicken or just be eaten as a vegetarian ( but for the broth) soup. May have another bowl! Linda C
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Here is my family's favorite...I have used it again and again through the years. "Makes 8 Main Dish Servings" Source: "From Ladies Home Journal, March, l977" Yield: "12 cups" Basic Vegetable Soup: 2 or 3 pounds Soup Meat and Bones, Beef Shank w/bone Veal Knuckle (have butcher crack) for a rich brown broth; brown meat and bones in a 350Â° oven. 3 quarts water (can use vegetable liquor) 2 tablespoons salt 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, undrained 1 or 2 large onions, chopped 1 cup green peas 1 cup diced potatoes 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup sliced celery 1 cup baby lima beans 1 cup cut green beans 1/2 cup uncooked medium barley 2 tablespoons choped parsley 1/4 teaspoon crushed thyme 1/4 teaspoon sugar In a large stock pot, place meat, bones, water, crushed thyme (also 8 to 10 pepper corns). Heat to boiling. Simmer 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove meat and bones. Cut up meat and reserve. Strain broth and skim off fat. Add cut up meat. Add barley, parsley, and simmer for 1/2 hour. Then add vegetables in order required for doneness, peas last....over a period of another 1/2 hour. Take care that vegetables do not become mushy. At this point adjust seasoning...salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon Aromatic Bitters (optional) just before serving. My Own Note: Any addition or substitution can be made; pasta, lentils, rice, corn, broccoli, etc. Double recipe for freezer. I am always looking for marrow bones to make Marrow Dumplings to be added to this soup.
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nancyofnc
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks Grainlady - that helps my soup menu planning a lot. I am always so busy in the summer I just grab stuff and wing it - not always successfully. But with the idea you gave me of cooking by harvest I can find the recipes now and line them up by month. What a great idea.
Thanks Teresa - the idea about converting dips to soups has my mind racing and I have to remember that fruits can be made into soup.
I have lots of room to grow whatever I want because my friend is going to grow for me the 200 tomato plants I usually have so that I can rotate my soil to grow other crops. I love butternut squash but have had a big problem in the past with squash vine borers and cucumber beetles. Since it has been 5 years perhaps they went on to other gardens. I am also going to grow peanuts so those can be made into soup, I'm told.
Thanks again, both of you.
Nancy
ruthanna_gw
12 years ago
In the summer, I like soups that I can have cold one day and heat up another day. My favorites are a carrot-ginger bisque and a pea, watercress and mint combination.

And don't forget garlic. If you grow your own, you can always be sure of its source and a big pot of garlic broth can be used as a substitute for chicken broth in summer soups containing zucchini, spinach, etc.

If you google Spring Vegetable Soup, you'll get lots of other ideas.
bob_cville
12 years ago
A couple or years ago I posted a recipe for Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup that is simply delicious. The recipe calls for 3 cucumbers, but that it using the largest ones available from the store. With the smaller ones I usually get from my garden 4 to 6 cukes would likely be needed.

Makes about 36 oz which should serve about 6 as an appetizer

Cold Cucumber Yogurt Soup

3 large cucumbers (peeled and seeded)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dill weed

After peeling and seeding cucumbers, chop them into 1/2" cubes and place in colander. Sprinkle all of the salt on the cucumber pieces and let sit for 10 minutes. (to draw out some of the moisture and any bitterness)

Next place salted cucumbers in food processor or blender with all of the remaining ingredients, blend until desired smoothness.

Chill for about an hour and serve.

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