Cold aromatic soup with tomato and toasted bread

When the heat starts to arrive, we only want to eat light and fresh dishes that help us fight the high temperatures, but without giving up eating well. For this reason, I am always looking for new ideas. And the day I saw this cold aromatic soup with tomato and toasted bread, I fell at its feet.

This is a rather peculiar soup , but that is exactly what makes dishes like this one totally capture my attention. The recipe is from the book " Bar Tartine " which I am totally in love with and I recommend it without a doubt. I have made some changes to the ingredients to adjust the recipe to my possibilities.

The base of our soup

Those of you who know me will not find the ingredient that is the base of this cold soup strange. It is not the first time I have used it and it is thanks to this book. To make it we will prepare a konbu dashi broth . This broth consists of only three ingredients and the result is absolutely spectacular; water, konbu seaweed and katsuobushi (salted and dehydrated bonito flakes).

You can also make this broth with shiitake (if it is dried it has more flavour), konbu, katsuobush or a combination of all of them. In all cases the results will be magnificent. What I do recommend, within your possibilities, is that you make it at home. They sell dried preparations… but there is no doubt that something made by ourselves is better when we know what it contains.

Katsuobushi what is it?

Also known as hanakatsuo (smaller) or kezurikatsuo (larger and thicker), it is a food prepared from dried, fermented and smoked tuna or bonito. It can be found in a shaving format and packaged in small bags. Katsuobushi is the base, along with konbu, of dashi broth, the base of many soups and sauces, such as miso soup or soba sauce.

It has umami due to its high inosinic acid content, which is produced by hydrolysis and chemical reactions from yeasts or fish or meat extracts. This process can also occur naturally when food is allowed to cure.

Giving flavor and color

This cold soup has a really powerful and fascinating flavour thanks to the amount of aromatic herbs that we will use. In my case I have used basil, coriander, dill and mint . But you can use whatever you like. For example tarragon, sap, parsley, marjoram... Some of them are the ones used in the original recipe, but I couldn't find them the day I went to look for them.

To enhance these aromas, we will accompany the soup with a touch of garlic and serrano chili. In addition, we will add potato to give a little body to the soup along with a touch of softness. Finally, we will decorate with tomato, herbs and a little toasted bread with Thai oil . A true delight.

Thai wok oil from La Tourangelle and Revol porcelain soup tureens

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

For the soup:

• 600gr konbu dashi broth (recipe below)
• 125gr of potato, peeled
• 15gr of fresh basil, only the leaves
• 12g fresh dill, without the stem
• 12gr fresh cilantro, leaves only
• 6gr of mint, only the leaves
• 30gr of garlic shoots
• 1/2 serrano chili, about 2gr
• 1 large garlic clove
• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the konbu dashi broth:

• 1 liter of water
• 20gr of dried konbu seaweed
• 30gr of katsuobushi

For the garnish:

• Aromatic herbs (cilantro, basil, dill and mint)
• 1 red tomato, good quality
• 1 green tomato
• 1-2 slices of bread
• Thai oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Elaboration

We prepare the dashi broth

1. We clean the konbu seaweed and rehydrate the konbu seaweed in water for 25 minutes .
2. Place the water in a medium pot along with the seaweed over medium heat. Leave until it begins to bubble.
3. Remove the seaweed and add the dehydrated bonito flakes. Reduce the heat slightly and leave for about 10 minutes . Remove the foam from the surface as it appears.
4. Remove from heat and let sit until the flakes begin to sink.
5. We strain and set aside.
6. We can freeze the rest of the broth in airtight containers.

We roast the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC with heat from above and below .
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
3. Drizzle with olive oil , season with salt and pepper to taste and bake for 20 minutes or until tender.
4. We remove it from the oven and let it cool while we prepare the soup.

We prepare the soup

1. Fill a medium pot with water and salt, place over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil.
2. We prepare a bowl with very cold water from the refrigerator and a couple of ice cubes. We set aside.
3. Once the water starts to boil, add the herbs and blanch for 45 seconds . You will notice that they acquire a bright green color.
4. Remove with a skimmer and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Leave for 1 minute, remove with a skimmer and set aside on a plate.

We process the ingredients

1. In a food processor, add the konbu broth together with the aromatic herbs, sliced ​​garlic, chopped garlic shoots and chili.
2. Process until you obtain a smooth broth. I recommend doing this in batches of about 10 seconds to avoid overheating the blades and spoiling the flavour of the herbs.
3. Add the roasted potatoes and process again, in batches, until obtaining a smooth texture.
4. Pour the soup into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.

We toast the bread

1. We spray 1-2 slices of bread with Thai oil and let it sit for a couple of minutes so that it absorbs it well.
2. Place in the toaster or on a grill and toast until golden brown, but not burnt.
3. Remove from the toaster or grill and let it rest for a couple of minutes before cutting it into pieces.

We serve the soup

1. We divide the soup into individual soup bowls like these from Revol .
2. We decorate the surface with aromatic herbs, slices of green and red tomatoes and some pieces of toasted bread.
3. We put a spoonful of apple cider vinegar on the surface, a little ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Revol porcelain soup tureens , Pallarès carbon steel knife and Laura Ashley cotton tablecloth

Grades

• We can make Konbu Dashi broth at home, as I show you in the preparation, or we can use a dehydrated preparation. I leave it to you.
• If you have leftover broth, you can freeze it in an airtight container .
• If you do not want to use this type of broth , you can always replace it with a homemade meat or vegetable broth.
• Since you only use a small amount of potatoes, if you don't plan on baking anything else, I'll give you another way to cook them . Place a frying pan over medium heat, add a generous splash of olive oil and place the red potatoes. Let them brown on both sides. Pour in half a glass of water, season with salt and pepper to taste and cover. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender .
• The herbs can be entirely up to you . I used these, but feel free to change them for whatever you have on hand and like best.
• I used a generously sliced ​​sourdough bread with seeds . I recommend using a good quality bread, as the flavour will be much better.
• Thai oil goes great with this soup , but you can also use hazelnut or walnut oil.
• If you are making the soup during a very hot season , I recommend refrigerating the bowls for 30 minutes before serving the soup.
• We can refrigerate this soup in an airtight container for 2 days.

This cold soup with aromatic herbs, tomatoes and toasted bread will be a perfect option for hot days. We all love gazpacho, but it never hurts to know more options.

We can prepare it in advance just before serving it and assemble it for lunch or dinner. We can even serve it in small glasses as an appetizer with other things. We hope you like it and try it!