Chilled Courgette and Mint Soup
/When the mercury rises and the sweat pours, it’s those little things that make all the difference. A glass of chilled water by the bedside, a cool towel across your forehead, ice and a slice in your water bottles… but why stop there.
In this weather The Hungry Cyclist Lodge garden is also working hard and so to keep my guests as cool as a cucumbers, I knocked together this chilled soup to a cycling picnic. Using fresh courgettes, onions and potatoes from the garden, the recipe is inspired by some ideas I am plotting for my Chef on Wheels Bike Tour with the great Jody Adams in Provence at the end of the month.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 large courgette (chopped)
- 150 grams of butter
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- Salt
- 2 mediums sized waxy potatoes, chopped
- 3 shallots chopped
- Cracked black pepper
- Small bunch of fresh mint
Directions:
- Add the butter to a warm pan.
- Melt and add the shallots, potatoes and courgette.
- Cook until the shallots and translucent and the courgettes starting to yellow.
- Season with a large pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper.
- Pour over the stock and bring to a simmer.
- Now float the mint of the surface and leave it steep with a cover over the pan for an hour.
- Once cool, blend contents with a hand blender or in a magimix.
- Leave in the fridge overnight and serve chilled with a dash of cream and an ice cube.
Serving Suggestions for Cold Soups:
- Decorate the top of each glass with fresh mint, basil, chives, pepper or crouton. This adds color, texture and class to your offering.
- A dash of cream or a drizzle or E.V.O.O. in any chilled soup not only tastes great but looks stunning.
- Pop an ice-cube or two into your soup for a memorable experience.
- Fry some sage leaves in olive oil until crispy. Let the oil cool off and drizzle onto your soup along with the crispy fried leaves.
