Summertime, when the living is easy…and so is this recipe. Chop tomatoes, a nice spicy pepper and an onion. Toss it all in a blender, and you’re good to go.

This recipe came from a cookbook that I’ve had for a while. I got it from a now defunct Indian Spices and Appliances store that was walkable from my house. They swore they were going to re-open when a new condo development kicked them out. About ten years later, they haven’t returned. I continue to remain hopeful that someday they’ll be back, but, at least I have this great cookbook to remember them by.

This is a perfect recipe for summer.  I made this on a day where it was over 100 degrees outside, so I can speak from experience. This chilled soup is cooling and the slight spiciness is very refreshing.

Tangy Tomato Soup
from Summer Cookery

• 1 lb tomatoes, well washed
• 1 small onion
• 1 small pepper/capsicum, de-seeded
• 1 teaspoon dried or 1 Tablespoon fresh dill
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Chop the tomatoes and the pepper into quarters

Put all the ingredients into the container of an electric bender…

and blend smooth.

Check seasoning and chill. Serve garnished with black pepper, freshly ground.

We’re coming to the last day of the Vegetarian Tour de France and it’s been a long month of cooking. That’s why I’m still looking for simple recipes. This is a unique soup and is a great use for the summer cucumber crop. The next time I make this, I may play around a little with the amount of butter, cream and egg yolk that is in the soup. I think it could be made much lighter…which means it can be eaten that much more often. (And, that also means no worries about having to schlep extra poundage around on your weekend bike ride!)

Cucumber Soup (Crèm Doria)
adapted from Celtnet.org.uk

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 large shallot
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp long-grain rice
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp cream
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Do not peel the cucumber, as the skin is essential for this recipe. Chop both the cucumber and shallot then melt the butter in a pan. When hot add the cucumber and shallot and fry lightly until soft and slightly browned.

Season well and add the rice to the pot.

Fry for 1 minute before adding the stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

Take off the heat and allow to cool a little before liquidizing in a food processor.

Return the liquid to the pan then add the cream and slowly whisk-in the egg yolk. Allow to warm through, but do not boil (otherwise the egg and cream will curdle).

(Note: Even after processing in the blender, I still had bits of seeds and skin. If you don’t like that…then strain them out before serving.)

.

This Culinary Tour de France would not be complete without a great soup. Trust me, I picked the right recipe…this Zucchini and Curry Soup is really good. By using hot curry powder, you can add an extra “zing” to it. I imagine having some of this soup on hand to help me warm up after a cold bike ride in the winter. It also doesn’t have a lot of added fat making it light yet filling.

Zucchini and Curry Soup
(Potage de Courgettes au Curry)
From: The Paris Cookbook

1 large onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into thin half-moons
2 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder or to taste (I used hot curry powder.)
Fine sea salt to taste
1 quart homemade vegetable stock
4 small zucchini (about 12 ounces total), rinsed and cut into thin rounds

In a stockpot, combine the onions, oil, curry powder, and a pinch of sea salt. Stir to coat the onions.

Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring, until the onions are sft, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the stock and zucchini and stir to blend.

Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Process the liquid in a blender, food processor, or with a handheld immersion blender until emulsified into a smooth-textured mixture. (The soup may be prepared ahead of time up to this point. Cool and refrigerate.)

At serving time, reheat the soup, and serve it in warm shallow soup bowls.

I had purchased a bag of moong dal (split yellow peas) from the Indian grocery store and was looking for something different to make with them. In my search for recipes, I stumbled onto a Hungarian soup recipe that had been adapted from the cookbook Hungarian (Culinaria).

The original recipe called for only 4 cups of stock but I found that as I cooked the soup, the liquid boiled off. So, I estimate I put in an additional 2 cups of liquid…it may haved ended up being a little more that that.

Sárgaborsó Leves (Hungarian Yellow Split Pea Soup)
Adapted by Megabeth from Celtnet

• 1/2 large white onion – chopped
• 1 1/2 cups yellow split peas (moong dal)
• Salt and white pepper – to taste
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 clove garlic – chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 6 cups vegetable stock (I used Vegebase)

Combine the onions and split peas in a large pot.

Pour the stock over the top, bring to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes then season liberally with salt and black pepper. (Watch the pot to make sure peas do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir often and reduce heat as necessary.)

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan, scatter the flour over the top and stir to combine. Continue frying, stirring frequently, until the flour has browned.

Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir-in 1/2 cup of the soup stock and whisk to combine then turn the mixture into the soup. Note: you may have to add some additional water or stock to the peas as the liquid may cook off a bit.

Mix thoroughly and cover the pot. Then return the soup to a simmer until the peas are completely tender. (My soup took over an hour of simmering until the peas were completely tender. I also added some additional liquid as it boiled off.)