Cold Summer Soups

By: Allrecipes Staff

Cool summer soups are a refreshing addition to warm-weather menus.

Fruit Soups

Refreshing fruit soups are a delightful way to begin or end any summer meal. Berry and stone fruit soups are traditional in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. These soups are a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. Berry soups are often accented with a touch of wine and a splash of cream or sour cream. Fresh lemon juice is often used to brighten the flavors of the fruit. Garnish puréed soups with whole berries or sliced fruit and a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream.

Fruit Soup Recipes:

Gazpacho and cucumber soups are old favorites--but vary your routine by drawing from the cuisines of other cultures.

Savory Vegetable Soups

The king of cold soups is gazpacho. This Spanish soup has multiple variations, but the famous tomato-based gazpacho that originated in Andalucia in southern Spain has its roots in Roman and Moorish cuisines. Made with stale bread, olive oil, garlic, ground almonds and vinegar, this ancient soup is called ajo blanco, a "white gazpacho." After tomatoes and peppers were brought back to Spain from the New World, they were added to the soup. Today's versions can be made with tropical fruits, avocados, corn and even watermelon.

Vichyssoise is another cold savory soup that has enjoyed decades of popularity. It was created by a French chef, Louis Diat, at New York's Ritz-Carlton Hotel in 1917. Made of pureed potatoes and leeks, the soup is enriched with a swirl of cream before serving. Vichyssoise is easy to prepare and makes any meal feel like a special occasion.

Gazpacho and Tomato-Based Soup Recipes

Vichyssoise Recipes

Other Cold Vegetable Soups

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