The Soup Project: 27 weeks of soup plus Mint-Infused Apricot Soup

Once in awhile I hit a flavor combination that slays me. Apricot, spearmint and a hint of lime was the cooling ticket this week.

But first, I wanted to recap the 27 soups I've served up so far this year from the first week in January to mid July. Seasonal produce defines the soups with kale being the most frequently used since the growing season is year-round. Potatoes run a close second. The only soup I changed since posting is Jamacian Red Bean Soup (see #9 below) which had a bit too much lime in the original recipe for me.

Peruse and enjoy the selections so far, then cool off (unless you live in the Pacific Northwest where it's raining again today). My hope is that like me, you'll fall in lust with this week's selection--Mint-Infused Apricot Soup with a Hint of Lime

The Soup Project (28 weeks of soup)

1. Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

2. Quinoa Chowder

3. Basic Soup Stock

4. Locro Guascho Argentino (white beans, sweet potatoes and hominy)

5. Deborah Madison's Rustic Lentil Soup

6. Black Bean Chili

7. Meyer Lemon, Leek, Mushroom and Potato Soup

8. Dilled Cabbage, Mushroom and Potato Soup

9. Jamaican Red Bean Soup with Lime and Coconut

10. Chickpea and Kale Soup with Bread Crumbs

11. Roasted Potato and Leek Soup with Cashew Cream and Broccoli Raab

12. Masoor Dal

13. Caldo Verde: Portuguese Kale Soup

14. Long Life Miso Soup

15. Creamy Curried Nettle Soup

16. Red Velvet Soup (Creamy beet soup)

17. Mushroom Rhubarb Soup with Baby Collard Greens

18. Yellow Split Pea Dal

19. Garlic-Asparagus Soup with Smokey Blue Cheese

20. Rhubarb-Cherry Soup with Cashew Cream

21. Roasted Tomato Soup with Grilled Asparagus

22. Spring Vegetable Soup with Red Lentils

23. Spinach Soup with Cashew Cream and Morels

24. Creamy Broccoli and Arugula Soup with Caramelized Zucchini and Avocado

25. Coconut Strawberry Soup

26. English Pea Soup with Mint and Apricots

27. Zucchini Chowder with Fire Roasted Tomatoes Basil and Parmesan Cheese

28. Mint-Infused Apricot Soup

Apricots were one of my big splurges this week. At $4 a pound, they make a pricey soup ingredient, but this soup is meant for dessert or just plain cooling off.

These apricots came from Grouse Mountain Farm. It was their first week back at the market.

My assistant recalls the good old days when apricots were $2.50 a pound. We could buy them by the box then and gorge ourselves without a thought about a food budget.

Leave the apricots out at room temperature when you bring them home. Apricots have more flavor at room temperature and ripe specimens were meant to be eaten soon after picking. Check them frequently because they can go from good to bad overnight.

I dreamed up this recipe while waiting to buy my apricots and spearmint at Grouse Mountain Farm. I wanted to see how lime could boost the sweet tart apricot tones. Technically it's not really mint-infused because the soup isn't heated, but I couldn't resist the title. And fyi--don't use lime juice from the plastic squeeze lime, it is not the same as the real fruit. And a piece of advice: if you really want to share this soup, why not double the recipe? That's how good it is.

Mint-Infused Apricot Soup With a Hint of Lime

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 cup apple cider

3 cups chopped apricots

Juice of 1/2 lime (1 tablespoon fresh lime)

1 ripe banana

Handful of mint, finely chopped

1/2 cup water

Pinch of sea salt

Ice cubes

1. Soak cashews in apple cider overnight.

2. Blend cashews, apricots, lime juice, banana, and mint, until smooth and creamy. Add water to thin to desired consistency. Sprinkle in a pinch of sea salt and add ice cubes for a cool and refreshing soup that will disappear quickly.