Gazpacho soup served at Platt College's Foundations restaurant. JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World
A Cordon Bleu-trained chef made me lunch today.
The lovely NeMar Noulles invited us over for a couple of chilled soups, including a fantastic gazpacho and an almond soup -- both of which I'll tell y'all about in Monday's Tulsa World.
When I wrote a story about gazpacho 10 or so years ago, I was afraid to try it. "Cold soup?" I thought. "Umm ... No." But I love it, especially on hot summer days.
Sometimes, NeMar will use shrimp or crab meat in her gazpacho, she told me while I pigged out in her kitchen.
Here's one we found from Gourmet magazine, courtesy of Epicurious.com:
Thai-Spiced Watermelon Soup with Crabmeat
For soup:
5 cups coarsely chopped seeded watermelon (from a 4-lb piece, rind discarded)
1 fresh lemongrass stalk (available at Asian markets and some supermarkets)
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons mild olive oil
1 small hot green chile such as Thai or serrano, finely chopped (including seeds), or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For crab:
10 oz jumbo lump crabmeat (2 cups), picked over
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons mild olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Prepare soup:
1. Puree watermelon in a blender until smooth and transfer to a bowl. (Don't wash blender.)
2. Discard 1 or 2 outer leaves of lemongrass and trim root end. Thinly slice lower 5 to 6 inches of stalk and then mince, discarding remainder.
3. Cook lemongrass, shallot, ginger, and garlic in oil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until aromatics are pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add about one third of watermelon purée and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, 5 minutes.
4. Remove watermelon mixture from heat, then transfer to blender along with chile, lime juice, and salt and blend until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids).
5. Add remaining watermelon purée and blend briefly. Season soup with more chile, lime juice, and salt if desired, blending if necessary. Pour soup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding any solids. Chill soup, uncovered, about 2 hours if serving cold, or reheat in cleaned saucepan.
Prepare crab:
1. Toss crabmeat with cilantro, oil, and salt.
2. Divide crab among 4 soup plates, mounding in center, and pour chilled or hot soup around it.
Peave, love and lemongrass stalks ... XOXO
