[Week 9] Beet Gazpacho with Samin's Irresistible Herb Salsa

Plus: 9 More Chilled Soups & A Via Carota Salad

Aug 01, 2023

Hello Farm Share Friends:

Last week at the height of the heatwave, my friend Erinn, who has been regularly sending farm share recipes my way, asked if I liked the idea of an “all-chilled-soups post.”

Having no motivation to turn on the oven and little to do much more than chop up some vegetables and set them aside hummus, the idea sounded brilliant. Yes, please, Erinn!

I made one of the recipes she sent me immediately, a beet gazpacho, and I drizzled it with a favorite soup topper: Samin Nosrat’s herb salsa from Salt Fat Acid Heat, a mix of shallots, lime, cilantro, scallions, jalapeños, and olive oil.

The soup + salsa is pictured above, and if you are confused by the green-hued purée, let me explain: I used Chioggia beets, which I had received in the farm share several weeks ago. Chioggia beets, also known as candystripe beets, are striking when sliced and served raw, but their hue becomes more muted when they are cooked — in the blender, the mixture looked like a potato purée.

Fresh dill and cucumbers brightened it up, and Samin’s salsa added an element of heat and acidity as well as that textural variety I crave in puréed soups.

I always make the salsa to serve with Samin’s five-ingredient corn soup, which can be served hot or cold, but I think it would be excellent with a number of the other chilled soup recipes included below. You’ll want a spoonful in every bite.

Below you will find 10 chilled soup recipes + a Via Carota salad recipe I had made over the weekend, which put to good use a bunch of lingering radishes and scallions from previous weeks’ farm shares. If you have a favorite gazpacho, vichyssoise, or other chilled soup recipe to share, please do!

Week 9 Vegetables

This week we’re receiving carrots, which I’ll likely peel, slice, and set out with hummus for the family — they’re so sweet and fresh tasting on their own, it’s hard not to eat the first bundle of the season raw. Be sure to trim the greens from the roots before storing them.

Room temp storage: cantaloupe, tomatoes, scallions (in water), basil (in water), potatoes

Fridge storage: lettuce, corn, eggplant, carrots, peppers

Question for you: I’ve read mixed things about storing eggplant and peppers — in the fridge, out of the fridge — so if you have any tips, please share.

head lettuce → Salads
corn → Corn Recipes
cantaloupe → Melon Recipes
eggplant → Eggplant Recipes
cherry tomatoes or slicing tomatoes → Tomato Recipes
scallions → Scallion Recipes
carrots → Carrot Recipes
basil → Herb Recipes
peppers → Bell Pepper Recipes
new potatoes → Potato Recipes

Find recipes for all the vegetables here → Farm Share Vegetables

PS: I made oven fries last night with last week’s potatoes, and they were so, so good.

10 Chilled Soups

Thank you, Erinn, for all of your efforts here! I want to make each and every one. I’ve added a few of my favorites, too.

Here’s Feasting at Home’s Beet Gazpacho made with red beets: so pretty!

Ina Garten’s Classic Gazpacho: Eager to try this one.

Watermelon Gazpacho: One of my favorites: it yields a ton, and it is so refreshing.

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup: I think the herb salsa would be great with this one…

… and this one, too: Ottolenghi’s Chilled Red Pepper Soup.

Andrew Zimmern’s Cucumber & Yogurt Soup: This one, which requires zero cooking, might be the simplest here.

Cream of Basil Soup with Corn-Cucumber Salad: This one is vegan, and it’s made with soaked and puréed cashews. Love the idea of the corn salsa topper.

Julia Moskin’s Tomato Gazpacho: This is another favorite for its ease, flavor, and yield.

Samin’s 5-Ingredient Corn Soup: This is the recipe that introduced me to the herb salsa, which I find essential here to offset the sweetness of the corn.

Cucumber & Green Grape Gazpacho, from my cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs, this is an old favorite, too.

Fava, Radish & Pecorino Salad

Adapted from the Via Carota cookbook by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi.

Serves 4

Notes:

• I use scallions in place of spring onions and I do not soak them in ice water. If you are sensitive to raw onion, you might not want to skip this step, which will soften the onion’s bite.

• I use edamame in place of the fava beans. I buy frozen shelled edamame, which I cook as follows: drop the edamame into boiling water, drain immediately, then plunge into a bowl of ice water. If you are using favas and need guidance on blanching and peeling, find instructions here.

• I use more lemon juice and herbs than suggested.

Ingredients

2 spring onions or scallions
1 3/4 cups/240 grams blanched, peeled fava beans (or edamame)
10 radishes, thinly sliced
flaky sea salt or kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper to taste
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or more to taste
4 ounces young Pecorino Romano, sliced or broken into small chunks
7 fresh mint leaves (or more to taste)
5 fresh basil leaves

Thinly slice the spring onions and soak in cold water for a minute or two. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve and shake off the excess water. Note: I skip this soaking step.
Toss the onions or scallions with the favas or edamame and radishes in a large bowl. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Add the oil and fresh lemon juice and toss again. Add the cheese and toss again. Taste and add more fresh lemon juice — I add at least another tablespoon — and a pinch more salt, too, if necessary.
Tear the mint and basil into large pieces, leaving the smaller leaves whole. Add them to the bowl and toss one last time.

Fellow Farm Sharers: Please share in the comments links to recipes you are loving for your farm share vegetables! Tips, questions, and suggestions are always welcome, too. Enjoy your vegetables! 🥦🥬🥒🌶🌽🥕 See you next week :)

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