Cool Soup For Summer

Summer is hot. Soup is hot. It makes sense that the two wouldn’t mix, right? Actually, soup lovers enrolled in culinary school online can indulge in a cold, thick gazpacho. This summertime soup is a great way to beat the summer heat – especially since you don’t even have to fire up the stove to cook it. Traditionally, gazpacho has always been a tomato-based soup, but has recently begun to debut new flavors as students in online cooking courses begin to experiment with ingredients to give recipes their own unique twists.

While cold soup may not sound appetizing to the unexposed palate, gazpacho is bursting with the vibrant fresh flavors of favorite summer veggies and is often described as a salad disguised as a soup. In order to best satisfy your taste buds, try to use ingredients that are freshly picked, whether they are from your backyard garden, in a CSA or purchased at the farmers market.

Tips and tricks for students in online cooking courses
Gazpacho, while seemingly simple, can fall victim to common mistakes and misconceptions that alter flavor and consistency. Here are a few tips and tricks to be mindful of while making your gazpacho:

• You’re making a soup, not a smoothie. Avoid the urge to add sugar, tomato juice or citrus juices. These will make the gazpacho watery and sweet – which is not the thickness or flavor you are going for. Hearty and fresh should be your end goal.
• If your gazpacho does turn out too runny, you can easily thicken it without altering the flavor by adding bread. If there is bread, particularly white bread, that is starting to go stale in your pantry, you have the perfect thickening agent for this summer soup. Soak the bread in water, squeeze it so that all the excess liquid is removed and add it to the blender with your pureed veggies.
• Make gazpacho well in advance to give the soup time to chill. Ice cubes will dilute the flavor as they melt.

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