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Susan Jung


Soup was always served hot when I was growing up, never cold. The first chilled soup I tasted - vichyssoise, eaten at a nice French restaurant in California - seemed strange at first. But, by the time I'd finished, the taste had won me over and it's still one of my favourite soups on hot days. Chilled soup should be refreshing but not thick and heavy - otherwise it's like drinking a bowl of cold sauce.
Ajo blanco with grape sorbet and croutons
This chilled white garlic soup, enriched with ground almond and bread, is pungent, so don't serve it on a first date. It's traditionally served with peeled grapes, but I can't imagine anything more tedious than peeling grapes. Instead, I serve it with grape sorbet, which is easy to make and delicious (it's also good on its own). Best of all, you don't need to peel any grapes.
For the ajo blanco:
100 grams stale, crustless white bread
About 900ml cold water
150 grams peeled ground almonds
3 large garlic cloves
50ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
30-40ml sherry vinegar
Fine sea salt, to taste
For the grape sorbet:
300ml water
200 grams granulated sugar
500 grams seedless green grapes
A pinch of fine sea salt
About 45ml fresh lime juice
15ml vodka
For the croutons:
2 slices stale, crustless white bread
Olive oil, for frying
Prepare the sorbet first. Make a sugar syrup by boiling the water then stirring in the sugar. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate. Remove and discard the stems from the grapes. Puree the fruit in a food processor then put it through the finest disc of a food mill. Weigh the puree, then add two-thirds the amount of sugar syrup (the remaining syrup can be refrigerated and used to sweeten ice tea and lemonade). Whisk in the salt, lemon juice and vodka. Chill for several hours then process in an ice-cream machine. Pack the sorbet into a con- tainer and freeze for several hours or overnight.
For the ajo blanco, tear the bread into pieces, put in a bowl, drizzle with about 250ml of the cold water then soak until soft. Put the almonds and garlic in a food processor and pur?e as smoothly as possible. Add the bread and soaking liquid then puree again until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream then add the vinegar and most of the cold water. Check the consistency and if it's too thick, add more cold water. Season to taste with salt and, if needed, add more sherry vinegar to sharpen the flavour. Strain through the finest disc of a food mill then chill for several hours or overnight. Taste before serving (chilling mutes the flavour) and adjust the consistency if it's too thick.
To make the croutons, cut the bread into small cubes. Heat olive oil to the depth of about 8mm in a small skillet. Fry the croutons until golden then drain on paper towels.
Ladle the soup into chilled bowls and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Top with a scoop of the grape sorbet then add a few croutons to each bowl.
Vichyssoise
This soup is best made with light, plain, unsalted home-made chicken stock. Alternatively, use a commercial brand of unsalted stock that's been diluted with four times the amount of water.
About 45 grams unsalted butter
2-3 large leeks, white and pale green part only
3 medium-sized starchy potatoes
500ml unsalted chicken stock
300ml cold whole milk
200ml cold cream
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
Minced chives (don't use Chinese chives because the flavour is too strong)
Remove and discard the leek tops. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise then slice into 1cm-wide pieces. Put the leek in a colander and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt between the leaves then drain. Peel and dice the potatoes.
Melt the butter in a pan then add the leek and a little salt. Stir to coat the leek in the fat; if it seems dry, add more butter. Cover the pan then cook over a low heat until the leek is soft (about five minutes). Stir in the potato and season lightly with salt, then add the stock. Bring to a boil over a medium flame then lower the heat and simmer until the potato is tender. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk and cream. Pur?e the mixture in a food processor, put it through the finest disc of a food mill, then strain through a fine-meshed sieve (double-straining gives the soup a silky texture). Season with salt and chill until very cold. Before serving, taste the soup and add more salt, if needed. If the texture seems too thick, whisk in more cold milk. Whisk in a little ground white pepper then ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chives before serving.
Styling: Nellie Ming Lee
Recipes first published on September 11, 2011


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Susan Jung's recipes

Summer soup recipes: Ajo blanco with grape sorbet; vichyssoise

Ajo blanco with grape sorbet and croutons.