Soup is an essential part of life it feels. The English word itself, “soup,” originating from Sanskrit, means “good nutrition.” There are records showing that soup was prepared and consumed as far back as 10,000 years ago. In China, a 2,400-year-old soup was discovered by archaeologists in the ancient city of Xi’an.
The method of making soup by placing bread on the bottom and pouring water or broth on top still preserves its place in Europe as the famous French onion soup.
Soups that warm us up in winter are not consumed much in summer. In already hot weather, most people don’t want to drink a hot soup, but changing this habit and turning to nice, cold soups in sweltering heat can be a great option.
For this reason, I have compiled a list of six different cold soup recipes consumed in different parts of the world.
The common feature among almost all cold soups is that they can be prepared without cooking. You can whip up wonderful soups with a few vegetables, legumes and spices or add your own twist to the recipes below according to your own tastes or what you have in the kitchen.
Ayran soup
Now for a soup that is widely consumed in Turkey and has more than one variation: Ayran soup.
I will share with you the classic recipe first and then two great improved recipes, which I hope you try and love.
A good thing to keep in mind is that in Turkey, the basis of cold soup is mainly yogurt.
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram of yogurt
- 1 glass of water
- 1 cup of boiled wheat
- 1 cup boiled chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon of salt
For the topping
Instructions
Mix the yogurt, water and salt with a whisk, add chickpeas and wheat. Garnish with olive oil and fresh mint and serve.
Peach ayran soup
It’s time for the peach ayran soup recipe, which is prepared with one of the most beautiful fruits of summer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of boiled bulgur wheat
- 1 cup of boiled chickpeas
- 1 kilogram of yogurt
- 200 milliliters of water
- 2 small diced peaches
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 finely chopped fresh basil for topping
Instructions
Mix the yogurt, water and salt with a whisk. Add the other ingredients into it, add fresh basil while serving.
Apple ayran soup
Finally, I will share the apple ayran soup recipe with you and I strongly recommend you try it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of boiled wheat
- 1 cup of boiled peas
- 2 grated cucumbers
- 2 diced green apples
- 1 kilogram of yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- Dried mint and red pepper for topping
Instructions
Whisk the yogurt and salt, add the other ingredients, garnish with mint and red pepper and serve.
Avocado cold soup
This cold soup is ideal for those who want to consume healthy but delicious food.
Even though not everyone likes avocado, I highly recommend that you try making it like this.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 3 cucumbers
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 bunch of mint
- 1 juice of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of tahini
For the sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame
- 3 or 4 tablespoons of cream
- 2 or 3 fresh finely chopped scallions
Instructions
Mix the avocado, cucumber, mint, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, tahini and garlic in a blender.
Serve the soup in a bowl after sprinkling some cream on it, optionally sprinkle finely chopped scallions or sesame seeds.
Cold zucchini
Next up is a not-so-tasty vegetable: Zucchini!
While most don’t enjoy eating zucchini on its own, a very delicious soup can be prepared with this vegetable, which is very rich in fiber.
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini
- 2 scallions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 cup of hot water
- 1/2 glass of walnuts
For the sauce
- 4 or 5 basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1/2 glass of yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 zest of a lemon
Instructions
First of all, fry the scallions in olive oil for two minutes, lower the heat and add the chopped zucchini. Add the thyme and garlic, fry and close the lid and let it cook for 10 minutes. Take it from the stove and add the walnuts before passing it through the blender until you get a smooth consistency. Leave it in the refrigerator to cool as you prepare the sauce.
The sauce is prepared by passing all the ingredients through a blender. Pour it over the cooled soup and serve.
Gazpacho
Let’s start with the famous gazpacho soup, which is widely consumed in Spain, in the Iberian Peninsula in Southwest Europe and in its neighbor Portugal to the west. The recipe can vary, sometimes it is made with watermelon, sometimes just tomato.
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 2 tomatoes, 2 slices of watermelon (optional)
- 2 medium-sized onions
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 cucumbers
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 slices of bread
- 5 glasses of water
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of grape vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
Instructions
Put the peeled tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, bread and cucumbers in the food processor.
Add all other ingredients to this mixture, cool in the fridge and serve cold.
Boil some water, toss in the ingredients in the package, let it boil and you have yourself a soup – that’s what instant soups promise at least. The taste is debatable, but people like the convenience of it. Instead of the sodium-filled, artificial kinds perhaps it’s time to turn to something more nutritious and natural: tarhana, the world’s oldest “instant” soup mix to have originated from central Asia.
So what is this thing called tarhana? Tarhana is essentially a fermented cereal-based product that is a flavorful mixture of yogurt, flour, yeast, different vegetables, herbs and spices. It is made mostly from produce collected and harvested over the summer, which is then cooked, dried and crushed into fine pieces to create a delicious soup.
The beauty of this soup doesn’t stop there. Not only is it a probiotic powerhouse thanks to its fermented ingredients, but tarhana is also a great source for protein, vitamin B, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and copper.
While there are many versions of this traditional delicacy out there and many claim to be the originators of the tasty soup (as is the case with the Greek “trahana”), we’ll be focusing on the way Turks traditionally prepare it and later turn it into some soup.
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram tomatoes
- 1 kilogram onions
- 1 kilogram red peppers
- 500 grams cooked chickpeas
- half a bundle parsley
- half a bundle mint
- 500 grams strained yogurt (süzme)
- 2-3 tablespoons salt
- 2-3 kilograms flour
Instructions
Cut your tomatoes and onions into small pieces and de-seed your red peppers before chopping them as well. Put these into a pot and add the cooked chickpeas to them. Cook until everything has softened. If the liquid from the tomatoes is not enough, add a bit of water while cooking.
Once sufficiently softened, add the mint and parsley to the mixture and run it through a food processor or blender. To get rid of excess water use a sieve with a thin cloth.
Now, add the yogurt and the salt, gradually also adding the flour until it forms a soft dough. If the pot is not big enough to accommodate the dough, transfer it into a deeper bowl to let the dough rest for several days while closing off the bowl or pot with a cloth. The dough should be kneaded through, at least twice a day to air it through. A minimum of two days is required to get the sour taste of the soup, but depending on the air temperature and your taste preferences, the dough can be let to rest for up to seven days. Usually, three days is the norm.
Once the dough has soured sufficiently, it should be let to dry out in a place with no direct sunlight but good airflow. Spread it onto a clean surface, such as a thick cloth or baking paper, in small blobs to let it air dry. Once the blobs start to dry and the middle parts are still kind of moist, the tarhana can be run through a processor or broken down into a sand-like texture by hand. Do this before the tarhana dries out completely to avoid hard, unbreakable chunks. If desired, the broken pieces can be run through a sieve and run through a processor again.
The sand-like soup base should be let to dry out completely in a shaded place before being used in soups. While many store tarhana in a cloth, a glass jar in a dry and dark environment will be the best and safest option.
Tips
The consistency of the dough will vary depending on how watery the tomatoes are and the kinds of other vegetables used. Creating a soft dough is essential as adding too much flavor is not desired, hence the 1-kilogram margin in the ingredients table.
Many like to add hot peppers in as well, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavors and vegetables.
How do I cook tarhana soup?
As long as it takes to make the actual tarhana itself, cooking the soup is much easier and quicker. Many women sell their own tarhana at bazaars or you can easily purchase some at grocery stores. No tarhana soup will taste like the other, but here’s how to make a soup of it:
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons tarhana
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- salt, pepper, mint (to taste)
- water or broth of your choice
Instructions
Put the dried tarhana into a bowl of your choice and pour some hot water or broth over it, making sure it is dissolved completely.
While that softens, add the oil, tomato paste and garlic to the pot for the soup and lightly sautee them.
Pour the dissolved tarhana liquid mixture into the pot and add the seasoning of your choice. Add more water or broth depending on how thick you want your soup. Don’t forget to stir constantly. Let it boil and then simmer for a few minutes. Then turn the heat off, top of with some dried mint and serve!
Tips
The amount of tarhana mentioned here is my preference. The more you add, the thicker and more intense the taste will be. If you have never made this soup, start out with this amount and work yourself up to using more.
Garlic is, of course, optional but slightly roasting the cloves gives a great and subtle flavor.