Chilled Peach Soup with Fresh Goat Cheese

By khojnicki

Ingredients

• 3 c sliced peeled peaches
• 1/4 c finely diced peeled seedless cucumber, plus thin slices for garnish
• 1/4 c finely diced yellow bell pepper, plus thin slices for garnish
• 1/4 c diced dried apricots
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp crumbled fresh goat cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 c white balsamic vinegar, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 c plus 2 tbsp EVOO, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 c diced baguette
• Basil leaves, for garnish
• Freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 100mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, toss the peaches, diced cucumber, yellow pepper and apricots. Add the honey, 3 tbsp goat cheese, 1/4 c of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp of salt. Add the garlic. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Discard the garlic. Transfer the contents of the bowl to a blender and puree. Add 1/4 c water and puree until very smooth and creamy. Add more water if the soup seems too thick. Season with salt and vinegar. Refrigerate the soup until very cold, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 c of olive oil. Add the diced bread and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and crisp, about 2 mins. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the croutons to paper towels and season with salt.

Pour the peach soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the sliced cucumber, sliced bell pepper, goat cheese, croutons and basil. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with black pepper and serve.