Our Best Cold Soup Recipes for Instant Air Conditioning

Slurpable and satisfying, cold soups are the essential bowls of summer

By SAVEUR Editors
June 15, 2017

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 soup hails from 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 a curried summer squash soup, which is kept extra cold by Thai basil-lime juice ice cubes. Keep cool this summer with this collection of our best cold soup recipes.

Avocado Soup
avocado soup
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 »William Hereford
Okroshka (Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs)
Okroshka (Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs) Recipe
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 Okroshka (Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs) »Simon Bajada
Chilled Yogurt and Chickpea Soup
Yogurt and Chickpea Soup
Packed with green lentils, wheat berries, and black-eyed peas, this filling, tangy soup is brightened with handfuls of fresh parsley and mint. Get the recipe for Chilled Yogurt and Chickpea Soup »Cem Talu
Cold Yogurt and Herb Soup with Chickpeas
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 »Justin Walker
Spinach, Chive, and Yogurt Soup with Grilled Scallions
Spinach, Chive, and Yogurt Soup with Grilled Scallions
This tangy chilled soup is topped with charred scallions. Get the recipe for Spinach, Chive, and Yogurt Soup with Grilled Scallions »Romulo Yanes
Chilled Macadamia Gazpacho with Cured Asparagus
Chilled Macadamia Gazpacho with Cured Asparagus
Sweet macadamia nuts, toasted to deepen their flavor, give a creamy base to this creative chilled gazpacho with asparagus. Get the recipe for Chilled Macadamia Gazpacho with Cured Asparagus »Romulo Yanes
Watermelon Gazpacho
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. Plenty of herbs and olive oil lend a fresh, grassy note, with cucumbers bolstering the melon backbone. Get the recipe for Watermelon Gazpacho »Matt Taylor-Gross
Potato and Leek Soup (Sopa de Poro y Papa)
Potato and Leek Soup (Sopa de Poro y Papa)
This creamy, rich soup is a favorite in Mexico City. In summer it's usually chilled like a vichyssoise, but it's also served hot, especially in the cooler months. Get the recipe for Potato and Leek Soup (Sopa de Poro y Papa) »James Oseland
Salmorejo
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 »Todd Coleman
Gazpacho Andaluz
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 »Farideh Sadeghin
Cold Peach 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 »James Roper
Almond and Garlic Soup (Ajo Blanco)
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) »Romulo Yanes
Makombu-Squash Soup
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 »André Baranowski

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