This take on okroshka, a classic summer soup named after the Russian word kroshit, meaning "to crumble" uses tangy kefir or buttermilk as a base and is filled with heaps of torn fresh herbs. Grated horseradish and spicy mustard add a gentle backnote to the soup. If you can't find quail eggs or don't have the patience to peel them, hard-boil chicken eggs and cut them into quarters. Get the recipe for Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs (Okroshka) »Simon Bajada
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Cold soup is one of our favorite summer dishes. From sweet peach to zesty gazpacho, these meals are at once slurpable and refreshing.
For cold-soup newcomers, one of our favorite Spanish recipes, gazpacho, is the ultimate chilled soup. Made with the ripest in-season tomatoes and cucumbers, this vegetarian classic is thickened with bread and perked up with garlic and sherry vinegar. For a creative variation, try a white macadamia rendition topped with asparagus slices cured in a vinaigrette of honey, lime juice, cilantro, and serrano chile.
Beyond Spain, yogurt is used to thicken an array of cold soups around the world. It stars in our tangy spinach-and-chive soup topped with grilled scallions and two different chickpea soups packed with fresh herbs. Keep cool this summer with our best cold soup recipes.
This refreshing summer soup, adapted from La Guarida restaurant in Havana, is meant to be served lightly chilled. Olive oil, garlic, pink peppercorn, and smoky grilled shrimp round out the sweetness from the strawberries and watermelon. Add ¼ teaspoon of sugar if the fruit is more tart than sweet. Get the recipe for Strawberry, Watermelon, and Tomato Gazpacho »
This take on okroshka, a classic summer soup named after the Russian word kroshit, meaning “to crumble” uses tangy kefir or buttermilk as a base and is filled with heaps of torn fresh herbs. Grated horseradish and spicy mustard add a gentle backnote to the soup. If you can’t find quail eggs or don’t have the patience to peel them, hard-boil chicken eggs and cut them into quarters. Get the recipe for Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs (Okroshka) »
As ethereal as its origins, this unusual, chilled summer soup is a specialty at the Singular Patagonia, an otherworldly hotel that borders Sena Última Esperanza (or Last Hope Sound). It’s made velvety and rich by the local avocados, which are called paltas. Get the recipe for Avocado Soup »
Juicy sweet watermelons go savory in this summery no-cooking-required soup from Anna Watson Carl. Spicy bite comes from jalapeños and red onions, while tomatoes and tart lime juice provide acidity. Get the recipe for Watermelon Gazpacho »
Salmorejo, gazpacho’s richer, deeper cousin, is a cool, creamy soup typically topped with chopped hard-boiled eggs and salty prosciutto or Iberian ham; omit the pork to make it vegetarian. Get the recipe for Salmorejo »
Though there are many versions of gazpacho, the traditional, tomato-based Andalusian variety is the one you want on a hot afternoon or warm evening. Get the recipe for Gazpacho Andaluz »
Any root vegetable—squash, carrots, turnips, potatoes—can be used to make this silky, umami-rich soup from award-winning Japanese cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo. Get the recipe for Makombu-Squash Soup »
Puréed canned peaches form the base of this delicate soup, which is thickened with tart Greek yogurt and spiced with fresh ginger. Get the recipe for Cold Peach Soup »
