Our Most Refreshing Cold Soup Recipes for Instant Air Conditioning
Slurpable and satisfying, cold soups are the essential bowls of summer
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.
Strawberry, Watermelon, and Tomato Gazpacho
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 »
Spring Pea Soup with Leeks and Herbs »
The fresh flavors of springs peas join leeks, parsley, mint, and basil in a vibrant soup that’s excellent served hot or chilled. Get the recipe for Spring Pea Soup with Leeks and Herbs »
Cold Yogurt and Herb Soup with Chickpeas
Rice and garbanzos add body to this vegetarian soup laced with fresh greens and herbs. Serve it chilled—as we have done—or, if you prefer, just slightly warmed. Get the recipe for Cold Yogurt and Herb Soup with Chickpeas »
Spinach, Chive, and Yogurt Soup with Grilled Scallions
Spinach, Chive, and Yogurt Soup with Grilled Scallions
Watermelon Gazpacho
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
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 »
Gazpacho Andaluz
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 »
Almond and Garlic Soup (Ajo Blanco)
Pungent raw garlic shines in this no-cook soup adapted from Claudia Roden’s The Food of Spain (Ecco, 2011). Get the recipe for Almond and Garlic Soup (Ajo Blanco) »
Makombu-Squash Soup
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 »
Cold Peach 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 »
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