Hot soups for hot weather?

May 12, 2012 3:23 PM

I'm good with winter soups, I'm good with cold summer soups, but can't seem to find a hot summer soup I like. Send me your simmering summer soup solutions.

No allergies/restrictions aside from a general dislike of most seafood.

posted by The Whelk to food & drink (18 answers total)

Can you give some detail on what it is about hot summer soups you haven't liked? Too heavy? Too warm? Is "room temperature" acceptable?

At any rate, I enjoy a good Hot & Sour Soup in the summer - I make mine with prawns, but you could try chicken or tofu. I pair it with a cool salad or fresh spring rolls.

I also enjoy really spicy hot chili in the summer. Something about spicy foods in hot weather pleases me.
posted by dotgirl at 3:39 PM on May 12, 2012

simplest corn soup: cut the kernels off half a dozen ears of very good, very fresh sweet corn. Bring the cobs to a simmer with two quarts of chicken stock and a bay leaf. Simmer for twenty minutes. Fish the cobs and bay leaf out, add the kernels. Cook for three or four minutes. Salt, pepper. Puree if you want. Dollop of creme fraiche or swirl of cream, if you want. Chervil or maybe tarragon or chives snipped over.

(You can start adding things, a chipotle and some whole coriander, for example, is tasty. But if the corn is REALLY good, you're all set with it and nothing else).
posted by peachfuzz at 3:40 PM on May 12, 2012 [14 favorites]

Thailand has your answers, providing you can tolerate nam pla (fish sauce). What kind of Whelk can't stand seafood? Tom Yum Goong is hot and sour shrimp soup but I always substitute chicken or even tofu for the shrimp - the flavor is mostly in the broth. Tom Kha Gai is chicken and galangal soup in a coconut stock. There are zillions of recipes for both, online and in books. Just start browsing Thai recipes and you will find lovely hot soups for hot and sticky weather.
posted by Quietgal at 4:09 PM on May 12, 2012 [3 favorites]

Seconding corn soup. I use a variation of this recipe. (my variation is to add a little chili powder and lime juice).

I love black bean soup in the summer with a big blob of cold sour cream.
posted by gatorae at 4:23 PM on May 12, 2012

I really like this Barefoot Contessa pea and mint soup recipe, it's lovely for spring/summer and very easy to make.
posted by essexjan at 4:37 PM on May 12, 2012 [5 favorites]

Nicely spicy foods on a hot, hot day are wonderful for sweating off the heat a bit.

This chicken and ginger soup has just enough heat to get you going.
posted by xingcat at 4:41 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]

Green garlic's in season now: I'm going to do something along these lines, with leek and potatoes and herbs for additional flavour. It's more of a late-spring soup, but it's a fine one.

I like Quietgal's Thai direction, and the general theme of spice and citrus. You can go in a few directions: perhaps Greek avgolemono, or a spiced carrot soup with lemon.
posted by holgate at 4:59 PM on May 12, 2012 [1 favorite]

I love pozole. There are many recipes (vegetarian, vegan or not).

Here is my recipe that I love:

Pozole
1tsp olive oil
1 1,2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1lb chopped tomatillos
1 jalapeno chopped
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp chopped epazote
4 cups veg stock
hominy 16oz can
2 bunches swiss chard coarse chop

white cheese for garnish
8 tortilla
lime
radish
avocado
cilantro for garnish

saute onions garlic
add cumin & salt
add hominy jalapeno
add chard stock bay lezves
bring to boil
cover cook until leaves tender about 20 min
posted by anya32 at 5:51 PM on May 12, 2012 [4 favorites]

Tomato soup made with in-season 'maters and basil is to die for!
posted by mon-ma-tron at 6:37 PM on May 12, 2012 [2 favorites]

Seconding the fresh tomato soup (although it's a BIT early for fresh tomatoes)...

I find bean soups are generally good any time of year, and green chile chicken enchilada soup is great any time of year. The hotter the chile, the more it cools you down in the summer (because it makes you sweat).
posted by hippybear at 6:41 PM on May 12, 2012

I don't have a recipe, though I've been thinking about trying to find one, but the Spanish bar Mrs. Ghidorah and I frequent has an amazing sopa caliente, which is a fiery tomato based soup with bits of beef. It's absolutely delicious, and it is great in hot weather, as the heat will make you sweat a bit, which in turn will cool you down in the summer. It's perfect for sopping up with chunks of crusty bread, too.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:04 PM on May 12, 2012

combining some suggestions = minestrone, a perfect summer soup.
posted by saraindc at 7:13 PM on May 12, 2012

I've had a lemon chicken rice soup that I think would be nice in summer. It's discussed on Chowhounds here.
posted by lakeroon at 7:30 PM on May 12, 2012

Hot summer soup is called "chili."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:50 PM on May 12, 2012

I made roasted carrot soup last night and it was awesome. Not sure how summery that is. Tortilla soup with a margarita- I could get behind that for the summer. For sure.
posted by bquarters at 9:49 PM on May 12, 2012

Tortilla Soup or Pozole

As a twist try hominy instead of corn (Hominy is corn made better).

Mexican soup and summer time just seem to go together.

As an aside, I personally love plain tomato soup served with grilled cheese sandwiches.
posted by zinon at 12:17 PM on May 13, 2012

Try a stock based on pea pods. I've seen hot and cold soups based on this, but I prefer hot. I usually chop the pods up, simmer, squish with a potato masher (or pulse with a blender) and strain. A bit of salt and fresh basil, the shelled peas, diced zucchini, and orzo make a fantastic light soup.
posted by bethnull at 3:41 PM on May 13, 2012

Corn soup for sure, but it sounds like everyone else has you covered there. (I do a corn-bacon-potato chowder that my household loves but it's heavy and may not be summer-y enough for you.)

On the menus at SF Bay Area restaurants (the ones that focus on fresh, seasonal, local) right now: asparagus soup, pea soup, green garlic soup, light minestrones with spring veggies, light pastas in brodo (broth), and still some mushroom soups.

I find carrot-apple soup to be fairly Summery, even though they're traditionally fall veggies.
posted by rhiannonstone at 1:05 PM on May 14, 2012