RICHMOND, Va- Chef Laura Daab from Bikini Panini returns to Virginia This Morning with two chilled soup recipes perfect for a hot summers day. Bikini Panini is a Richmond, Virginia-based food truck offering Mediterranean and Cote d’Azur-inspired pressed sandwiches. This morning Laura prepared Cantaloupe and Gazpacho Soup. For more information you can visit https://www.bikinipanini.com/. See recipes below:
Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Lime and Balsamic Drizzle
1 cantaloupe or other ripe, orange-fleshed melon, chilled, peeled and seeded
· Juice of 1 lime
· Salt to taste
· 2 teaspoons good quality balsamic vinegar
DIRECTIONS
1. Cut cantaloupe in 1-inch chunks. Place about 1/4 of them in a blender and process at high speed until puréed. Once you have a purée, gradually add remaining melon, processing until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add lime juice and blend briefly. Season with salt to taste and blend again.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or serve at once. Divide soup among 6 soup plates and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar in a circular or squiggly pattern on top of each.
Gazpacho Soup
· 4 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced
· 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and finely diced
· 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
· 1/4 cup minced green onion
· 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
· 1 pinch dried oregano
· 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
· freshly ground black pepper to taste
· 1 pint cherry tomatoes
· 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
· 1 lime, juiced
· 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
· 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
· salt and ground black pepper to taste
· 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine diced tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a large bowl. Stir in salt, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
2. Place cherry tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Cover and puree until smooth. Pour pureed mixture through a strainer into the tomato-cucumber mixture; stir to combine.
3. Place 1/3 of the tomato mixture into the blender. Cover, turn blender on, and puree until smooth. Return pureed mixture to the remaining tomato-cucumber mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Season cold soup with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with basil.
