Chilled Tomato-Strawberry Soup

Name: Chilled Tomato-Strawberry Soup
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D1H45M
Total time: PT0D1H45M
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1½ lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 1 cup halved hulled strawberries; ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt; 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1 garlic clove; 1 small red onion, quartered; 1 thick sourdough or baguette slice, torn; Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes; Dill flowers, for garnish (optional); ¼ cup olive oil; 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds; ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; Pinch fine salt

What to do with those extra berries languishing in the fridge? Blitz them into bright, zippy Polish chłodnik.

Serves
4
Time
1 hour 45 minutes

MICHAŁ KORKOSZ

By Michał Korkosz

Published on April 15, 2024

I once read that food scientists say tomatoes and strawberries are made of the same flavor components, so they can be used interchangeably in cooking. I respectfully disagree; however, these two fruits do go together perfectly. My modern take—combining strawberries with garlic and dill—may seem unusual, but the strawberries make a subtle complement to the tomato flavor. You can also replace the strawberries with watermelon, raspberries, cherries, apricots, or melon.

Adapted from Polish’d: Modern Vegetarian Cooking from Global Poland © Michał Korkosz, 2023. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment.

Featured in “Moving Past Pierogi: The New Face of Polish Cuisine” by Olga Mecking.

Ingredients

For the soup:

1½ lb. tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup halved hulled strawberries
½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove
1 small red onion, quartered
1 thick sourdough or baguette slice, torn
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Dill flowers, for garnish (optional)

For the crispy garlic oil:

¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch fine salt

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the soup: In a large bowl, toss together the chopped tomatoes, strawberries, sour cream, vinegar, garlic, onion, bread, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper to taste. Refrigerate until the bread is soft, about 30 minutes.

Step 2

Meanwhile, make the garlic oil: To a small skillet over low heat, add the oil, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook until the garlic is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Pour into a heatproof measuring cup and set aside. When cool enough to taste, season with salt.

Step 3

Transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor and blend until very smooth. With the food processor running on low, add the oil in a slow, steady stream until the soup is thick and velvety. Refrigerate until cold, 1–2 hours.