Description
A refreshing and creamy chilled peach soup, perfectly blended with cucumber and Greek yogurt, and enhanced with a vibrant basil oil drizzle. This light and flavorful soup is ideal for hot days and serves as a delightful appetizer or a cool summer treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Peach Soup Ingredients
- 4 cups peaches, peeled and diced
- ¾ cup seedless cucumber, peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons honey (substitute coconut sugar for vegan)
- 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt for vegan)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Basil Oil Ingredients
- 1 cup basil leaves, tightly packed
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare Peach Soup: Place the diced peaches, diced cucumber, honey, champagne vinegar, peeled garlic clove, Greek yogurt, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt into a blender. Puree all ingredients until completely smooth, ensuring the soup has a creamy consistency.
- Chill Soup: Transfer the blended peach soup to a container and chill in the refrigerator until very cold, for at least 1 hour, allowing the flavors to meld and the soup to firm slightly.
- Blanch Basil: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the basil leaves and blanch for 45 seconds to soften and brighten the flavor, then immediately plunge the leaves into an ice water bath to stop cooking and preserve the vibrant green color.
- Make Basil Oil: Drain the chilled basil leaves, pressing out excess water. Combine the basil, olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a blender. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute, to create a fragrant basil-infused oil.
- Strain Basil Oil: Let the blended basil oil mixture sit for 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop fully. Then strain the oil through a fine-mesh strainer to remove solids, discarding the solids. Store the strained basil oil in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Serve: Spoon the chilled peach soup into individual bowls. Drizzle generously with basil oil and garnish with optional cucumber slices, microgreens, or additional peach slices for an elegant presentation.
Notes
- For a vegan version, substitute Greek yogurt with a dairy-free yogurt and use coconut sugar instead of honey.
- Blanching basil helps mellow its flavor and brighten the color of the basil oil.
- The soup can be prepared a day ahead; just keep chilled until serving.
- Use ripe, juicy peaches for the best flavor and natural sweetness.
- Basil oil adds a fresh herbal note and visually attractive green drizzle.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chilled peach soup, summer soup, basil oil, refreshing soup, peach recipes, cold soup, vegetarian appetizer
