Joy of Cold Soups

Cold Soup for a Hot Day

Boy is it hot: really scorching outside. When it's this hot, that means it's time for . . . soup?  What?

Soup in the summertime seems counter intuitive, but that's where cold soups can really fit the bill, for several reasons:

1. They tend to use fresh produce, either from the garden or the farmer's market.

2. They come in savory options, if you want a something remotely traditional for a soup course, or sweet options, if you want a light dessert.

3. They are refreshingly delicious.

4. They can be made ahead of time, in the cool of the morning, and chilled for several hours.

By Gila Brand at en.wikipedia (Own work) [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

For savory cold soups, you can choose from vichyssoise, gazpacho, borscht, or cold cucumber soup, among others. You might try this cold Summer Squash Soup I made recently:

Cold Summer Squash Soup

4 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 TBSP butter
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp. cayenne, or to taste
1 cup plain yogurt

Melt the butter and then saute the squash and onion until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken broth; let the mixture come to a boil and then simmer it for five minutes. Let cool and then add the cayenne pepper.  Blend the mixture and return it to the pan. Whisk in the plain yogurt. Chill for at least one hour (preferably more) before serving. Serves 6-8.


For sweet soups, fresh fruits will play a starring role. Try strawberry soup or cherry soup: yum! You can even go old-school and make traditional Fruktsoppa (Swedish Fruit Soup).

To beat the summer heat, it's hard to beat cold soup, whether as a main dish, side dish, or dessert. Bon appetit!