Ice will save your summer cooking + a gazpacho soba noodle bowl

For when you cannot take the heat anymore

Jul 03, 2025

Hi friends!

I’m finally back in Berlin, and let me tell you — it is SWELTERING.

This week on Little Feast: why ice will save your summer cooking, plus a gloriously icy gazpacho soba noodle bowl to keep you cool.

I just got back from an atrociously crowded public pool because we hit 39°C (100°F) today. If you live on the same planet as I do, chances are you’ll face some real heat sometime soon, too.

I read a Serious Eats article recently that made the case for eating hot food when it’s hot outside. I get it. I love a bowl of pho in summer. But when it’s so hot that I voluntarily join half of Berlin in a pool that’s probably more urine than water, I’m eating something cold for dinner — no matter what the science says.

If you’re like my mom, you probably have one of those tiny ice cube trays that give you, maybe, 12 sad little cubes. The rest of this newsletter is here to convince you to level up.

Because ice is the ingredient you’re not using enough.

The Weekly Zhuzh ✨

Why ice will level up your weekly cooking

First off, I do not buy ice. If you’re made of money, be my guest, but my tap water is free (kind of), and I have eight flights of stairs to carry groceries up. Instead, I use two sizes of silicone trays that I fill regularly. (I’ll show you which ones below.)

Anyway, why invest in frozen water?

Resuscitate your sad, wilted greens

You probably have limp lettuce in your fridge. The bunch of coriander on its last leg? The floppy celery? Instead of throwing them out (and ruining the planet), toss them in a bowl of ice water. In 10 minutes, they’ll perk back up — vibrant, crisp, and good as new.

Prevent overcooked eggs and improve peelability

We all know the horrors of peeling a boiled egg that just disintegrates in your hands. Plunging eggs into ice water right after boiling helps the shell come off cleanly, and it stops the cooking instantly, so you get the doneness you actually want. Win-win

Make better dips

Adding a few ice cubes when blending will create a smoother, lighter hummus. The ice cube helps add air into the mixture, and the lower temperature also helps in emulsification (a fancy word for mixing). You can also add an ice cube when making green chutney to preserve the vibrant green color!

Save time in the kitchen

Sometimes recipes tell you to wait for something to cool before continuing. But you don’t have to. Instead of using all hot water, cut the liquid in half and save the rest as ice. Stir it in after heating—bam, instantly cold. I use this when:

Making pickling liquid, so you don’t cook the veg you’re trying to keep crisp.
Brewing kombucha: to cool the tea down fast before adding the culture.
Making iced coffee: I brew filter coffee at double strength directly onto ice.

Cook better veg

Blanching vegetables means that you either boil or steam vegetables before plunging them in icy water. This helps keep a vibrant color and adds back a lovely crunch. This is great for things like green beans, spinach, or asparagus. Once blanched, you can throw it in a pan with some hot butter for the best greens ever.

By now, I hope I’ve convinced you to use more ice in your cooking. And if not, here’s a recipe to change your mind.

The Nudge 🍽️

15 Minute Gazpacho & Soba Noodles

I have thought of creating this recipe for a long time. It combines two of my favourite cold dishes: Spanish gazpacho and Japanese cold soba noodles. It takes about 15 minutes to make, and no, you do not have to strain it, and no, you do not have to let it cool for six hours. It’s fine. I promise.

For 2 portions you’ll need:

4 medium tomatoes
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes (keep these separate)
½ peeled cucumber
2 jarred roasted red peppers
½ small red onion
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon vinegar (sherry, red wine, or white all work)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Soba noodles (enough for 2 portions)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
A handful of ice cubes (about 4 large ones)

Do this

Make the gazpacho base

Roughly chop the large tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and garlic.
Add them to a blender along with the roasted red peppers and vinegar.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a handful of ice cubes, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
Blend until completely smooth.
Transfer to the fridge or freezer to rest while you cook the noodles.

Cook the soba noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba according to the package instructions.
Once done, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking.
Add a few ice cubes directly to the noodles to chill them even further.
Divide the cold noodles between two bowls.

Make the sesame tomato topping

Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them in a small bowl.
Add the sesame seeds, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat.

Assemble the bowls

Pour the chilled gazpacho around the noodles, letting it pool at the bottom of each bowl.
Top with the cherry tomato-sesame mix.
Finish with extra olive oil, a twist of black pepper, or more sesame seeds if you like.

The Tool 🍳

If you’ve made it this far, I take it you’re not sick of hearing about ice. Seema thinks I’m insane for this, but I have two sizes of ice cubes at home (two trays of each). I even made her buy the same setup when she moved into her first flat, which she violently opposed.

I won’t link to Amazon because I’d rather you shop locally, but here’s what I use:

Medium-sized trays (3x3cm cubes)

These make great multi-purpose ice cubes. Great for drinks or for any of the things mentioned in this newsletter. Great for drinks, chilling ingredients, or any of the hacks in this newsletter. These will replace the ice cube tray that you’re freezer came with (sorry but they do not cut it)

Large-sized trays (5x5cm cubes)

To be honest, if you are a normal person, you probably don’t need this. BUT if you enjoy a fancy cocktail, then it is pretty nice to plop down a massive cube every once in a while.

Alright, that's it for this week!
Let me know if you try the recipe or finally upgrade your ice game.

Stay cool and hydrated,
Seb