Take A Break From Salad, Dive Into Some Soup

Summer or not, at some point you’ll reach a salad saturation level. So before your nose begins twitching like a rabbit’s, make the change to a quieter, more soothing meal: soup.

Make it when you’ve got odds and ends of summer vegetables that don’t add up to dinner, or when you’d prefer to cook in the morning before the kitchen heats up and have something ready for dinner.

For an adaptable soup that can be served at any temperature, choose a recipe that has a slight tang, either from buttermilk or yogurt. Anything richer should only be served hot or the result will be more like savory ice cream than soup.

The following Leek, Broccoli and Potato Chowder is excellent hot or cold; directions for each follow. Avocado Soup is at its refreshing best chilled.

Leek, Broccoli and Potato Chowder

1 tablespoon butter

1 large leek, white part only, trimmed and chopped

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

1 medium new potato, peeled, diced and cooked

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Salt

1 to 1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Heat butter in 3-quart pan. Add leek and broccoli and saute over medium heat 5 minutes, or until leeks are transparent and florets limp. Add potato and chicken broth. Cover and simmer 25 to 30 minutes. Pour mixture into blender along with 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, white pepper and salt to taste. Process until mixture is pureed.

To serve hot, pour soup back into pan. Add 1 cup buttermilk, chives and dill and simmer 5 minutes. Taste and adjust salt as necessary. To serve cold or at room temperature, pour soup into bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups buttermilk, chives and dill. Add additional 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce. Chill 2 hours or serve immediately, adjusting salt as necessary.

Yield: 2 servings.

Avocado Soup

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons minced shallot (1 large)

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks

1 cup chicken broth

1 green onion, white and green part, cut into pieces

2 teaspoons minced fresh dill

1 small jalapeno chili, cored and seeded

1 fresh pickling cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt

Salt, pepper

Heat oil in small pan. Add shallot and saute until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Combine shallot, avocado, broth, onion, dill, jalapeno and cucumber in blender container. Process until mixture is pureed. Add yogurt and process again 30 seconds to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into serving bowl. If desired, first chill 1 to 2 hours.

Yield: 2 servings.