Chilled Soup Recipes for All Occasions

Chilled soups are great appetizers, light lunches, or even desserts. You can choose any taste (sweet, spicy, savory) or ethnic flavor profile (Latin, Polish, French, you name it), and there’s probably a chilled soup to match. Because you serve them cold, they’re great to serve all summer long.

Don’t feel like you need to wait for a special occasion to serve these chilled soups. They’re so easy that you can serve them any time.

Live Cucumber and Avocado Soup

Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/AndreySt

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

4 cucumbers, roughly chopped

2 avocados, peeled and pits removed

1⁄2 jalapeño, seeds removed

1⁄4 bunch cilantro

1 sprig mint, stems removed

Juice from 1⁄2 lime

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 small radish, julienned and chopped

Sweet corn kernels cut from 1 ear

1⁄2 red bell pepper, julienned and chopped

1. In a high-speed blender combine cucumbers, avocados, jalapeño, cilantro, mint leaves, lime juice, and salt. Blend on high until all ingredients have been well puréed, about 1-2 minutes.

2. Place a fine mesh strainer over a 1-2 quart container. Drain the avocado mixture through the strainer, working it through with a spatula if necessary. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if desired.

3. Ladle a serving of the cucumber and avocado soup into a bowl. Place the julienne of radish and red bell pepper, and some sweet corn kernels on top to garnish. Enjoy!

Per serving: Kcalories 190 (Calories from Fat 118); Fat 13g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 300mg; Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 10g); Protein 5g.

Rhubarb Soup with Fresh Strawberries

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

1 pound rhubarb, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices

1⁄4 cup Splenda

1 pound strawberries, cleaned and sliced

1 cup water

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

6 mint leaves, julienned

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rhubarb and Splenda and mix well. Set the bowl aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine the strawberries, water, and lemon juice. Cover and boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Using a colander, strain the strawberries to obtain just the juice. Discard the pulp.

3. Pour the strawberry juice back into the saucepan and add the rhubarb-and-Splenda mixture.

   Boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and store the soup in the refrigerator until it’s cold. Serve the soup chilled with the mint leaves as a garnish.

Per serving: Kcalories 117 (From Fat 10); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 10mg; Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 8g); Protein 3g.

Because rhubarb is seasonal, you may need to use the frozen kind, which already comes in pieces.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Chill time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers

1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 cups cubed and seeded watermelon (from about a 3-pound seedless watermelon)

1⁄2 cup cranberry juice

1⁄2 cup small diced red bell pepper

1⁄2 cup small diced red onion

1⁄2 cup small diced celery

1⁄4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

8 each fresh mint leaves, chiffonade

1. In a small bowl, toss the cucumbers with the salt.

2. In a blender, add the watermelon and cranberry juice. Pulse until just blended. (Overblending causes the watermelon to froth and lose its color.) Pour through a sieve into a bowl and press on the pulp to extract all the juice. Discard the pulp.

3. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, parsley, vinegar, and lime juice to the watermelon juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill and allow the flavors to blend together.

4. Rinse the cucumbers and pat dry.

5. Ladle the soup into chilled bowls (or martini glasses) and garnish with the cucumber slices and mint.

Per serving: Kcalories 116 (From Fat 11); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 140mg; Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 2g.