Equipment
Ingredients
Tomato Essence
- 8 tomato, cored and quartered
Cumin Ice
- 240 ml tomato essence
- 1 g ground cumin
- 3 g salt
- ½ g black pepper, ground
Cucumber Ice
- 2 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 6 g salt
- 1 g ground coriander
- 5 ml lemon juice
- ½ g black pepper, ground
Soup Base
- 720 ml tomato essence
- 2 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 6 g salt
- 15 ml lime juice
- ⅛ g cayenne pepper
- 2 lobster, steamed, shelled, and cut into 1.5cm pieces
- 3 g fresh chives, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 367 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbohydrates
- 61 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 9 g
- Sugar
- 23 g
- Sodium
- 2816 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 141 mg
- Potassium
- 1929 mg
- Calcium
- 190 mg
- Iron
- 4.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 145 mg
- Phosphorus
- 404 mg
- Zinc
- 5.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 352 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 281 mg
- Vitamin E
- 5.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 55 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.39 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 8.1 mg
- Folate
- 183 mcg
- Water
- 847 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Process the quartered tomatoes in a food processor until they are finely chopped.
Strain the chopped tomatoes through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to collect the liquid essence; discard the remaining pulp.
Mix 240ml of the tomato essence with ground cumin, 3g salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Pour the cumin mixture into a pie plate and freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to create a granular texture.
Process the chopped cucumbers in a food processor until they are completely liquefied.
Stir 3g of salt into the cucumber liquid and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes.
Pass the salted cucumber liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Whisk the remaining 3g salt, ground coriander, lemon juice, and black pepper into the cucumber liquid.
Transfer the cucumber mixture to a pie plate and freeze for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes until firm but not solid.
Combine the remaining 720ml tomato essence with the diced bell peppers, 6g salt, lime juice, cayenne, and lobster meat in a large bowl.
Place the soup base in the refrigerator until it is thoroughly chilled.
Divide the soup into four bowls, place one scoop of cumin ice and one scoop of cucumber ice in the center of each, and garnish with chives.
Chef's Notes
- For the most vibrant tomato essence, use ripe, in-season tomatoes. Overripe tomatoes can lead to a mushy pulp that's difficult to strain effectively.
- When making the granitas (cumin and cucumber ices), ensure you scrape and stir frequently to break up ice crystals. This creates a finer, more palate-pleasing texture that melts more gracefully.
- Taste and adjust seasoning at each stage, especially for the tomato essence and cucumber liquid, as the freezing process can sometimes mute flavors.
- Gently steam the lobster to preserve its delicate sweetness and tender texture. Overcooking will make it tough and less enjoyable in this chilled preparation.
- The bell peppers in the soup base should be finely diced to ensure they cook through slightly from the residual chill of the tomato essence and don't remain too al dente.
Storage
Refrigerator: 48 hours — Store soup base and ices separately.
Freezer: 7 days — Ices will become solid; scrape with a fork before serving.
Troubleshooting
Ices are frozen into solid blocks
Cause: The mixture was not stirred frequently enough during the freezing process.
Fix: Allow the plate to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then vigorously scrape with a fork.
Prevention: Set a timer to scrape the mixture every 30 minutes to break up large ice crystals.
Soup base tastes flat or under-seasoned
Cause: Cold temperatures suppress the perception of salt and spice.
Fix: Stir in a small amount of salt or lime juice just before serving.
Prevention: Taste and adjust the salt and lime juice levels after the soup has been fully chilled.
Cultural Context
This dish is a modern interpretation of classic French cold soups, often referred to as 'potages froids' or 'soupes froides'. While traditional French cold soups like Vichyssoise or Gazpacho have established roots, this recipe elevates the concept with sophisticated flavor pairings and textures, showcasing a contemporary approach to French cuisine.
