Soup in summer? Absolutely!
Especially when it’s this chilled nectarine version.
It is hot.
That’s about all I feel inspired to write at this moment. With temperatures in the high 90s and lots of humidity, the weather is less than comfortable. As my mom (who lives in Florida) explains, I just am not used to these wonderfully warm days. That is true. I like warmth, say 80s, and I can do without the humidity. However, I don’t get to pick the weather.
To add to the excitement of the heat, one of my home’s central air conditioning units decided this would be a good time to need new parts. The good news is that the bedrooms have a separate unit, so sleeping is cool. However, the kitchen and my office are controlled by the sickly air conditioner. So, as I sit at my desk and down multiple glasses of water while a fan blows on me continuously, I debate ways to create meals that involve minimal heat.
Last night was easy. The kids wanted to finish leftovers from dinner at a restaurant. Perfect! For my husband and me I decided to try my hand at a chilled soup. While it did mean that the soup needed to simmer for a little bit on the stove, I didn’t need to turn on the oven. Plus, once the soup was ready, we would have an ice cold, tasty meal. It seemed worth a few minutes at the stove.
I found this soup to be quite delicious served with some flatbread crackers. Depending on your preferences, you can purée the soup more or less to achieve the texture you desire.
- 1/2 Tb. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1-1/2 Tb. flour
- 5 nectarines, peeled and diced
- 2/3 cup white wine (I used Chenin Blanc)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt & pepper
- Heat olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until translucent.
- Add flour, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add nectarines, wine, and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Pour about half of the soup into a blender, and purée until you achieve the desired consistency. (As the soup is hot, you do not want to fill the blender.)
- Place puréed soup into a storage container, and repeat with second half of soup.
- Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
