Wow – Its summer time and the living is HOT! Here’s a chilled soup that is cool and lightly sweet and fragrant with in-season peaches and the pop of mint. Easy to make, this soup will keep well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days, just make sure to whisk it up briskly when you take it out of the fridge.
Not only is it fun as a soup for the family, you can “jazz it up” by making it with a little sparkling wine and serve it as an appetizer for an adult dinner.
The mint is a super contrast to the sweetness of the peaches. Lots of flavor…and nutrition too! Mint is a wonderful aromatic herb. It is often used for digestion and to combat nausea. It is very high in antioxidants, one of which is called rosmarinic acid. It has been studied for its effectiveness for relieving seasonal allergies. Mint is very easy to grow as well so if you are ready to experiment with growing some of your own herbs, this is a great one. But watch out, it can take over your whole garden patch each season!
Chilled Peach Soup – Mint
- 6 Large Ripe Peaches
- 1 Cup Cold Water (or sparkling wine)
- 1 Cup Apple Juice
- ½ Cup Chopped Dried Apricots
- 1 Cup Peeled and Chopped Cucumber
- Zest and Juice of 1 Large Lime
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste
- Chopped Mint
Add the peaches to a blender and puree. Add the water, apple juice, apricots, lime zest and juice, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. Pour the soup into cups, garnish with mint and serve.
To PEEL the Peaches: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut a small “X” through the bottom of each peach, and then drop them two or three at a time into the water to blanch for about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peaches to a bowl of ice water. When peaches are cooled, drain well then peel them, starting from the “X” at the bottom of each peach.