FOOD & DINING

Robin's rescue: Too hot for soup?

Robin Miller
Special for the Republic
Yellow gazpacho (top left), Chunky tomato (center) and cream of broccoli (right) are all cold soups, which are perfect for the hot summers.

Nutritionist and cookbook author Robin Miller tackles your food and dining dilemmas. Find her at robinmillercooks.com and get inspired by watching her YouTube videos: Dinner Tonight, by Robin Miller Cooks.

Question: It’s so hot in the desert this time of year, but I love soup. Do you have any recipes for cold soup?

Robin’s Rescue: When it’s sweltering outside, chilled soup is the perfect remedy. I pulled three of my favorite chilled soups from my cookbook “Robin Takes 5,” which means that each recipe has just five ingredients and is well under 500 calories (in this case, under 200 calories). That’s exactly what we need in the heat of the Arizona summer.

For the yellow tomato soup, bear in mind that traditional gazpacho is made with a fresh and flavorful blend of red tomatoes, onion, cucumber, celery, bell pepper and fresh basil. Recipes vary, and as long as you start with tomatoes and minced onion, you can add anything else you want.

RECIPE: Yellow Gazpacho With Fresh Basil

If you think chilled broccoli soup seems odd, consider vichyssoise, the chilled soup with potatoes and leeks. It’s cream-based and divine. For this recipe, I suggest using only fresh broccoli because frozen broccoli can get stringy. Plus, when you cook the broccoli directly in the broth, it lends its flavor to the base and creates a deeper overall flavor for the soup.

RECIPE:Chilled Cream of Broccoli Soup

For the tomato soup, look for pre-roasted garlic in the produce section of your grocery store; it’s sold next to the jarred, pre-chopped and peeled varieties. If you want to roast your own, place 3-4 peeled garlic cloves in aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and soft.

RECIPE: Hearty Tomato Soup With Sweet Corn and Crispy Shallots

Note: I like my soups pretty thick (and sometimes I actually use them as a salsa), so if you want a thinner consistency, add as much broth as you need to get where you want.

E-mail your questions to robinsrescue@azcentral.com and she’ll dish up delicious answers every Wednesday.