Chilled Summer Soup— A European Summer Classic, Reimagined

Chilled soups using summer ingredients can be found all over the European Union, from France's vichyssoise, Spain’s gazpacho and salmorejo, Bulgarian Tarator, and German Kalte Gurkensuppe. Chef Rebecca Peizer from The Culinary Institute of America shows us her take on a chilled tomato soup – a light, bright, and flavorful soup that uses high-quality pantry staples.

Get the Chilled Summer Soup recipe here.

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
[Music] Chilled soups using summer ingredients can be found all over the European Union. France's
vichyssoise, Bulgarian tarator, German kalte gurkensuppe, and Portugal's gaspacho alentejano.
Spain's southern region of Andalucia is known for its garlicky chilled version of tomato soups,

(00:24):
gaspacho and salmorejo. They are light and refreshing on a hot summer's day.
Here's my take on a chilled tomato soup. In place of traditional day old bread,
I'm adding salted crackers from Romania. Here they've been soaked in water and will add body
and a nutty creamy texture as well as seasoning to the soup. I'm adding Croatian tomato sauce as

(00:47):
the base along with some Polish paprika and smoked salt from Germany. Red bell pepper
and espelette pepper vinegar from France adds mild heat with sweet, fruity, and acidic notes.
I'm adding this olive oil from Greece that is garlic-infused to add some extra garlicky flavor.

(01:14):
I'm garnishing my chilled soup with some sliced Iberico chorizo from Spain, which has been fried
in olive oil for a nice umami rich crunch. This gazpacho is more than just a summer soup. It's a
snapshot of European flavor and geography blended into one dish that's inspiring, accessible,
and globally relevant. To resemble the traditional egg garnish, I'm also topping the soup with olives

(01:36):
stuffed with Parmigiano Reggiano. This cow's milk cheese has protected designation of origin or PDO
status, which guarantees it is made exclusively in Italy following strict traditional methods.
I love the briny flavor of the olives paired with the sweet and savory soup. Give the soup
one last drizzle of oil. Though this time I'll be using pumpkin seed oil, also known

(01:59):
as Steirisches Kürbiskernöl oil from Austria. It adds a deep rich green color and a burst of
summer squash flavor. This pumpkin seed oil has PGI or protected geographical indication label.
This label certifies that at least one stage of the production, processing,
or preparation of the product takes place in the region of its geographical origin. Lastly,

(02:23):
I'm going to garnish with a touch more of the smoked sea salt from Germany and serve. I love
celebrating and updating traditional European recipes with my own favorite ingredients and
influences, and I hope you'll love this reimagined classic European summer dish as much as I do.
This chilled summer soup is so refreshing and really is what both chefs and home cooks alike

(02:46):
are craving. Something light, bright, and flavorful using high quality pantry staples.
[Music]