This is how I like to define a soup: smooth, comforting and hot steam coming off the top. Take a spoonful, blow a couple of times, slurp a little and slurp it all.. aaaahhhh! and repeat.
Then, I learned about cold soup. No kidding.. I really didn't know.
In India, no matter how high the temperature shoots in summer and how humid it gets, we still like to eat hot sandwiches and hot lentil soups with equally hot rice/roti . Then, we cool ourselves off with some nimbu pani (lemon juice) or some chilled ice-cream.
The idea of having a cold soup didn't sound that appetizing to me, but after gawking and spotting at so many gazpacho and summer soups, I got pretty inspired. It looked colorful, refreshing and absolutely summer-y. So I thought that if I didn't try it now, it will just add up in my bucket list for next year!
If you had visited my blog before or saw the recipe list, you will figure out that I love trying new dishes. So, this was yet another interesting attempt I made, hoping that I could change my old school definition of soup.
As per wiki, Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. I did not make a gazpacho but something similar to that. Maybe, my next attempt on cold soup would be a gazpacho.
This is a simple soup with zucchini, avocado and few other vegetables which I cooked partially and then blended it to give a creamy texture. To go with the soup, nothing seemed more interesting than a crispy puff pastry stick, mixed with some sharp asiago cheese and some chilly flakes to add the heat.
When I served it to Arvind, he took a couple of spoons and then looked at me and kept staring for a while. Yeah! that was clear enough.. he didn't enjoy it as much as I did. He finished the crispy sticks but the soup, that was left for me..
You could use some other vegetables if you wish, I however restricted mainly to zucchini, some peas and avocado.
Zucchini & Avocado Cold Soup with Crispy Sticks
Ingredients
For the soup
- For the crispy sticks
- 2 zucchinis (roughly chopped)
- 2 avocados - 1 avocado chopped and 1 avocado pureed
- 2 celery sticks (chopped finely)
- 1 medium onion (chopped finely)
- 1 cup peas
- 2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbs grated ginger
- salt
- pepper
- oil
For the crispy sticks
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- ½ cup grated asiago cheese
- 2 tbs chilly flakes
- 1 egg
Instructions
- In a pan, heat two tbs oil and saute the ginger and onion until they are cooked through.
- Add celery, zucchini and keep cooking for another 10 minutes.
- Then, add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper.
- Once everything is cooked through, remove it from the pan and blend it to a smooth mixture.
- Transfer it to a bowl and add peas, pureed avocado and the chopped avocado.
- Let it cool down completely.
- To make the crispy sticks, unfold pastry sheets on a lightly floured board.
- Beat the egg with few drops of water to make a egg wash.
- Use a pastry brush and brush the egg wash on the pastry sheet
- Sprinkle cheese and chilly flakes over the surface and pat it down to make sure it sticks to the sheets.
- Slice the pastry into thin sticks.
- Very gently, either twist it or swirl it.
- Transfer it to a baking pan and bake it at 400 F for about 15 minutes or until they are golden brown in color.
- Sprinkle some lemon juice on the soup and serve it cold with the crispy spicy sticks or swirls.
Nutrition
aipi
This is something my hubs is going to love as he is crazy about anything avocado:D I love those cheese sticks but I normally make them with a mix of cheddar n Parmesan, with lots of cayenne pepper 😉
US Masala
Sissi
Your soup looks so refreshing and perfect for hot days! Apart from gazpacho I have never had cold soups (well, actually I had fruit soups with... pasta, but I prefer to forget this awful experience). Gazpacho is fantastic and your green version sounds at least equally good!
sarah
I'm just beginning to get in to cold soups and this one looks like perfect way to ease myself in- loving the avocado!!
rebecca
my hubby may look at me the same way looks awesome to me though
Liren
I've always wondered the same thing about food in the Philippines. It can be as hot and as humid as a sauna, yet the soups that my family always cooked were steaming hot - to me the first time I tried gazpacho, it was such a novelty. I would love to try yours, it promises to be full of wonderful flavor. Lovely photos, too.
Tes
I don't really like cold soup but this does look so fresh and delicious 🙂 I will definitely try this out sometime 🙂
Tina (PinayInTexas)
I'm not a fan of cold soup, but with avocado in it, I would never say no!
briarrose
Love this meal. The sticks are the perfect side to this soup.
Kitchen Belleicious
Look at the cute little crispy sticks and I can just smell the refreshing flavors of the zucchini and avocado. What a wonderful combo and perfect for summer! Love this cold soup!
Junia @ Mis Pensamientos
the avocado, zucchini, cucumber gazpacho sounds FANTASTIC. 😀 hehehe try the frozen grapes when u get a chance - u might be nicely surprised! 😀
sukanya
I love cold soups, but with avocado am not sure bcoz personally am not a fan of avocado, but your tempting pics makes me reconsider the avocado...
and the shot with celery stalk, i liked it the best...
regarding your comment in hilsa...am too missing it, bcoz here in US where I will get it? so started an event to enjoy it virtually at least !!
Marina
Woow, wonderful post! I love the pictures.. So hungry now 🙂
baobabs
yum! stunning photography and healthy home made soup!
Treat and Trick
Great combo and looks fabulous! Love that twisted stick as well...
Anne@frommysweetheart
What a beautiful soup!!! The only other cold vegetable soup I've had is gazpacho. So this looks delicious and wonderful for these hot summer days! And I'd better make the soup first...because I think those crispy sticks would be gone before I finished! : )
nisha
i have kept all the soups i want to try for those horrid winter nights 🙁
although i actually hate avocado, other than for guacamole, i think i like the whole idea of adding it in soup..and bread sticks..yummo 🙂
lisaiscooking
This looks like the perfect soup for summer, and the cool, green color is lovely. The crunchy cheese stick on looks delicious with it!
Manu
This is a great looking cold soup! And those cheese sticks look soooo good and crispy! I wish I could have a couple to munch on right now! Amazinf pictures my friend, I love them!
German Mama
I love to eat cold, refreshing soups in the summer. This looks great and the bread sticks are cute.
Krithi
Love the idea of spicy soup sticks... lovely celery shots too..