Chilled Cream of Basil Soup with Corn Cucumber Salad

Vegan, cream of basil soup.


I really don’t mind cooking when it’s hot outside. I actually love to cook in the summertime, and I know this makes me a crazy person. My love for cooking in July started long before I had central air conditioning here in St. Louis. When I lived in Philly, I’d crank my oven so high I swear my tiny apartment was about to burst into flames.There’s something about the produce in the heat of the summer that inspires me on a primal level. The colors. The textures. The plentiful bounty at the market, in my CSA box and {now} in my garden. I think we probably all feel the same way, like we can never get enough of the summer veg.

We become vegetable hoarders. We covet them. And we literally fight people {or squirrels} for them until they run out. Often I’m drawn to roasting them. Eggplants, tomatoes, zucchini. I pop tray after tray of them into the oven. Keeping it simple, all with just a little sea salt and a splash of olive oil and whole garlic cloves right in their skins. The flavors deepen, the notes soften, and everything tastes the perfect amount of sweet. I don’t know why. It doesn’t matter the season, or temperature outside. Roasted food always tastes the best to me.

And even though eating trays of roasted summery veg isn’t too heavy, there are still some summer days when all I want to eat is raw, lighter foods. Like smoothie bowls for breakfast, salads for lunch and raw soups, like this one for dinner. This cream of basil soup is totally raw and vegan and naturally gluten-free and requires practically no work at all to throw together. It has a smooth finish and it’s herby in spirit. But please don’t miss the corn and cucumber salad, it totally makes the dish and rounds out all the flavors with a little acid. Also, this soup is perfect thing to make with the abundance of basil I have right now. I seriously have, so, much, basil.

If you’re like me and enjoy cooking during the summer, but also don’t want to turn your oven on, maybe you should look into getting one of these Wolf convection ovens. I won this beast at the Saveur Blog Awards, and seriously, it is so badass. All the bells and whistles you guys. Legit the most serious piece of cooking equipment I own. And probably that I’ll ever own, and I love it.

What do you favor in the summer, raw or roasted?

Here are few of my popular summer recipes that favor both…

Banana Mango Green Smoothie Bowls with Hemp Seeds + Sprouts

Summer’s Bounty Chopped Kale Salad with Nectarines + Zesty Lime Vinaigrette

Basil Roasted Eggplant with Heirlooms + a Balsamic Drizzle

Savory Roasted Cherries

Cabbage Wedges with Corn + an Herby Spicy Zesty Vinaigrette

Blackberry + Mango Lemon Poppy Seed Fruit Salad with Earl Grey Whipped Coconut Cream

Blackberry SAGE Jam Cocktails

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Chilled Cream of Basil Soup

This soup is rich, creamy and filling. Be sure to refrigerate it completely as this allows for the proper consistency to set.

Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups of raw cashews soaked {see notes}
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 1/2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

• Rinse the soaked cashews, and discard soaking liquids.
• In a blender pulse together, on low the cashews and water. Add in the basil, spinach, garlic, salt and pepper and blend on low until totally smooth.
• Transfer soup to a airtight container and refrigerator for at least one hour or until chilled all the way through.
• Serve with a few spoonfuls of corn and cucumber salad {see below} and a drizzle of olive oil + pinch of sea salt and pepper.

Notes

For best results and easier digestion - soak your raw cashews anywhere from an hour to fours hours before blending.

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Corn Cucumber Salad

this salad is the perfect accompaniment to the soup, and shouldn't be left out. Please note raw corn is hard for some to digest, feel free to blanch it briefly if desired. Cherry tomatoes, and sweet bell peppers would be an excellent addition to the salad ingredients, get creative, all the summer flavors work here. The longer it sits, the tastier it gets, so you can make it in advance. This will make more salad than you need, so you'll have a small bowl leftover to eat as is.

Ingredients

• 3 ears of sweet corn {2 cups off the cob}
• 1 small-medium cucumber peeled if desired {1 1/2 cups diced
• large handful of parsley chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine or apple cider vinegar
• juice from 1/2 lemon {about 1 tablespoon}
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Instructions

• Remove the corn from the cob. Dice the cucumber in small pieces.
• Combine the corn kernels, diced cucumber, chopped parsley, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper in a bowl and toss together to coat evenly. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.