Julia wrote:

> With our weather so hot, I thought cold gazpacho would be impressive as
> something people don't make for themselves but still normal and healthy,
> but then I remembered the no raw onions restriction and nixed that idea.
> (Unless someone has tried it with no onions or with cooked onions and
> can recommend that route.) Then I thought of cold cucumber soup, but
> Jim made yeching noises when I suggested it. I've never been overly
> impressed with vichyssoise myself (cold potato soup) as it has always
> seemed bland to me. Cold fruit soups have always seemed like dessert to
> me. Any ideas? Of course, I don't have to serve a cold soup as a first
> course. I just liked the idea.

The onion restriction really cuts out a lot of contenders. Here are a couple
of good recipes for chilled soup which don't contain onions:


Ajo Blanco con Uvas
(White Garlic Soup with Grapes, from _The Foods and Wines of Spain_)

4 oz blanched almonds
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 slices day-old bread, crusts removed
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Garlic croutons (bread sautéed in butter and garlic)
4 cups ice water
seedless green grapes, peeled, about 6 per portion
toasted sliced almonds


Method:

Blend the almonds, garlic and salt in a food processor until the almonds are
finely ground. Soak the bread in cold water and squeeze to extract most of
the moisture.

With the motor running, gradually add the bread to the almond mixture.
Leaving the motor running, pour in the oil in a thin stream, scraping any
residue from the side as you go. Add the vinegar in a similar fashion. Beat
in one cup of the ice water. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and stir in
the remaining 3 cups of ice water. Add more salt and vinegar if desired.
Strain, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as
possible. chill.

Serve very cold, garnished with the croutons, grapes, and almonds (the
grapes are not merely decorative; they are essential to the soup's flavor).
Serve with a medium-dry white wine such as Viña Esmeralda.



Chilled Lettuce and Pea Soup (from _A Celebration of Soups_)

4 tablespoons butter
4 medium-sized onions, peeled and chopped
1 large head iceberg lettuce or 3 heads Boston lettuce, rinsed, trimmed, and
shredded
1 1/4 pounds peas, shelled
6 cups chicken stock
3 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt
White pepper
Chopped fresh mint

In a soup kettle heat the butter over medium-low heat and cook the onions
until translucent.

Add the next seven ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat,
and simmer the vegetables, covered, for 45 minutes.

Blend the mixture (either in a blender or with an immersion blender in the
pot) until it is smooth.

Season the soup with salt and white pepper. Chill it for at least 4 hours.
Before serving, taste and re-season if necessary. Serve garnished with mint.


BOB'S NOTES:

1. This makes about a half-gallon of soup; I generally cut the recipe by a
factor of three.

2. You might not need the sugar. Taste the soup before adding it and don't
add it if you think it might make the soup too sweet.

3. Do try to use white pepper rather than black pepper; it makes a
difference.

4. Instead of doing the mint garnish, you could put a dollop of yogurt, sour
cream, or creme fraiche on top of the soup. I've been known to pour a couple
tablespoons of buttermilk on top instead and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.


I'll address the salad and main course concerns in a different post.

Bob