When it seems like it can't get any hotter the last thing you want to do is cook over a hot stove. Chill out this summer and make one (or all!) of these delicious cold soup recipes. Most of them require no cooking, just some slicing and dicing, and they are all nutritious and delicious!
Pacific Northwest Crab Gazpacho Recipe
Early July is when non-commercial crabbing season opens up here in Seattle, and nearly every weekend we're out on the water with our pots and bait pulling up gorgeous Dungeness crab. Gazpacho, an easy Spanish tomato-based chilled soup, is quite possibly our favorite chilled soup for summer. And when we've been lucky with the crab pots, we love to top our gazpacho with the sweet and tender meat. If you're fortunate enough to have a tomato plant or two of your own, this is the recipe to showcase those sweet nightshades! If buying tomatoes, just make sure you get the best and plumpest ones you can find. Heirloom varieties work beautifully as they are abundantly fleshy with fewer seeds. The fun comes with the garnishing of this soup! We love finely diced cucumbers, bell peppers, onions, and avocado - the latter not being traditional, but delicious all the same. Can't get your hands on fresh crab? Canned will do as will fresh shrimp, lobster, scallops, or just enjoy the veggie version. If you're gluten free, simply omit the bread from the recipe or add a slice or two of your favorite gluten free bread.
Easy Creamy Zucchini Soup
Contributed to Foodista by HappyFoodsTube
This zucchini soup recipe is so easy it's silly! Seriously, it's sooo easy. It's a take on a classic French soup known as vichyssoise (read on as it's also featured below), made with leeks and potatoes. This version is simply zucchini, potatoes, onions, olive oil, salt and pepper. Because, really, who wants to be slaving over a hot stove in the summer?
Neer Mor Spiced Buttermilk Soup
Contributed to Foodista by Cilantro
This recipe was a featured winner in our Foodista's Best of Food Blogs Cookbook published back in 2010. Neer Mor is a buttermilk or plain yogurt-based soup often enjoyed in the hot summer months in India. It's full of wonderful herbs and spices like ginger, cumin, fresh cilantro and curry leaves that are simmered together to bring out the aromatic flavors, then chilled to enjoy as a cool and refreshing beverage or soup. Trust me when I say you gotta try this soup!
Julia Child's Chilled Leek and Potato Soup (aka Vichyssoise)
A magical thing happens when you purée sautéed leeks and potatoes with water, salt and just a bit of cream. A comforting and tre easy French soup known as vichyssoise, or more simply leek and potato soup. You could leave the cream out, making it even that much easier, but the cream (or crème fraîche) adds a wonderful velvetyness to the soup, so I suggest adding it. We enjoy this soup year-round as it's superb served either chilled or warm. Bon appétit!
Fresh Watermelon Gazpacho
Contributed to Foodista by MasalasandOlives
This delicate chilled gazpacho will transport you to heaven...and cool you down from the hotter than hell weather you might be experiencing right now. Like our friend that's made with tomatoes this soup is just the right balance of sweet and savory. Serve it in a bowl and enjoy with a spoon or sip from a charming glass as an amuse bouche (an appetizer to whet the appetite!).
Lithuanian Beet and Herb Cold Soup
Contributed to Foodista by TastyColours
If you like borscht (an Eastern European beet soup) then you'll love this Lithuanian cold soup recipe. If you grow beets or are able to buy them with the stalks and leaves then its a wonderful way to utilize the whole vegetable. Those stalks and leaves are packed with good-for-you nutrients! Roast the beets and leaves then puree them with some buttermilk or plain kefir. Top the chilled soup with diced cucumber, fresh dill and chives, a drizzle of red wine vinegar, and some hard boiled eggs and shrimp. Delish!
Chilled Green Pea and Onion Soup
Contributed to Foodista by Vegan.io
This vegan soup is packed with goodness! Sweet green peas, tender leeks, garlic and fresh thyme, coconut milk and more make this soup nutritious, delicious, and perfect on a hot summer day!
Chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup With Prawn and Scallop Salsa
Contributed to Foodista by Sense-Serendipity
Here's another winning recipe that was featured in our Foodista's Best of Food Blogs Cookbook published in 2010! This simple chilled avocado and cucumber soup is turned into a decadent meal by topping it with seared scallops, shrimp, black olives, segments of citrus fruits, and fresh cilantro. If you're looking for an elegant yet easy soup to serve for a summer soiré then try this!
