Chilled Yellow Split Pea Soup With Cucumber Relish 

*Recipe follows story

Summer never really makes me feel like soup.  Hot soup, at least.
Except for that one time, last summer, when I made my friend Ross a roasted celery soup because he came over to connect my Wii to my Netflix.
Never again.
I sweat through dinner.
And sweating through dinner in the summer is not acceptable.
Sweating is only acceptable during sex and on the dance floor; not during dinner with a co-worker friend.

Period.   

But a good gazpacho, I could pour it down my pants or down the front of my blouse, like L.L. Cool J.

Although, that would be messy…

In a little email volley last week, my friend Matt informed me that he was making gazpacho.

From a Bon Appetit recipe.
He’s fancy.

I pull pages from what I’ve got in my cabinets and lying around my house.
Using ingredients I can pronounce and don’t have to go through too much toil to find.
Maybe I’m simple.

OK, I am simple.

But I’ve recently nommed on some chilled soups I thought to be very pleasing to my palette, delightful and light - particularly since it’s about that time when I could sequester myself in my air conditioned bedroom all day long - for fear of melting like the Wicked Witch of the West.

My chilled soups tastings have ranged from pea and mint puree, to the standard gazpacho and a chilled puree of asparagus (enjoyed at the Gramercy Tavern). 

So, inspired by Matt - and the 1/2 bag of beans I had leftover from my dip making expedition - I made a cool soup of my own.

Chilled Yellow Split Pea Soup With Cucumber Relish 

2 shallots (minced)
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil 
1 1/2 c. yellow split peas
5-6 c. low sodium chicken broth 
1/2 cucumber (de-seeded and diced)
1 plum tomato (de-seeded and diced)
1/2 red onion (diced)
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. dill 
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle/finish

-In a large stock pot, over medium heat, saute shallots in butter and olive oil until translucent 
-Add yellow split peas and toss to coat
-Cover with chicken broth and let simmer for 25-30 minutes
-Puree beans in a blender/food processor or with an immersion blender (thin out with additional chicken stock or water if too thick)
-Add salt and pepper if necessary and transfer to the refrigerator to cool
-Toss together cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions with salt, dill, lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil 
-Ladle soup into bowls and top with cucumber relish and drizzle with additional olive oil  

Serve with pita bread or homemade pita chips