OK OK, I know the weather is up and down but luckily we Brits are used to it. Nonetheless I am desperate to feel summery and so I am giving this chilled soup a mention. I haven’t made it myself yet, but don’t worry, it is a Good Housekeeping Tried & Tested recipe, so is bound to be foolproof. Parmesan crisps look impressive but are very easy to make, so why not give this one a whirl?

Green Gazpacho with Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients 
Serves 6
3 green peppers, deseeded and quartered
5 spring onions trimmed
450g cucumber, chopped into large chunks
2 small cloves garlic, peeled
200ml natural yogurt
One & half avocados, peeled and de-stoned
Green chilli, de-seeded
18 large basil leaves
3 sprigs mint, leaves only
2 tbspn cider vinegar
375ml cold vegetable stock
Large pinch sugar
6 tbspn freshly grated Parmesan
Extra virgin oil to drizzle

How to prepare
For the garnish, finely chop one of the green pepper quarters, half a spring onion and a 5cm chunk of cucumber. Put in a small bowl and cover with damp kitchen paper and set aside.

Put all the remaining ingredients, except Parmesan and olive oil, into a blender with a handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth and season to taste. Pour into a large jug, cover and chill until ready to serve.

To make the crisps, preheat oven to 200 degrees centigrade/mark6. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Spoon on 1 tbspn Parmesan in a line measuring roughly 6″ x 1.5″ and press lightly to flatten into an even layer. Repeat with remaining Parmesan, spacing apart. Bake for 5 mins until golden. Set aside to cool and harden.

Divide soup between six bowls and sprinkle on garnish. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Using a palette knife, lift Parmesan crisps off the tray and serve with the soup.

HANDY NOTES: 165 cals per serving. Soup and crisps can be made upto 2 days ahead. Store the soup, covered, in the fridge and the crisps in an airtight container at room temperature.