Chilled Summer Soups

On a sweltering summer evening—the last thing that anyone wants to do is stand in front of a hot stove. A common solution is grilling out of doors, which sounds great (unless you live in an apartment like I do) or you can eat salad for dinner weeks on end. Now don't get me wrong, I love salad and in fact crave it every day but it does get tiring to eat it for dinner night after night. There is another choice: delicious cold soups that require no cooking at all.

When making cold soups there are a few things that you should keep in mind. The first and probably most important one is that we don't perceive flavors as well when foods are cold. So always chill a soup first and then taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

Next, make sure to use really fresh ingredients. Foods intensify in flavor as they cook so there is time to develop a complex flavor in a dish. The flavor of cold soups is often based on one ingredient, so if it doesn't have great flavor, neither will your soup. If your soup contains primarily tomatoes, make sure they are really ripe and fresh. If the recipe calls for nuts, make sure they are freshly roasted so they have the best possible flavor. If a recipe calls for bread, make sure it has good flavor on its own. And use plenty of fresh herbs as garnish.

Temperature counts. Cold soups can be served well chilled or merely at room temperature. I find that very cold soups work best in small servings when part of a larger meal. When soup is the entrée itself, room temperature is more satisfying. If you want your soup to be thoroughly chilled and you are short on time, place the soup in a metal bowl and then place that bowl into a larger bowl filled with a lot of ice and some water. Stir the soup frequently and it will chill down quickly. And don't forget to chill the soup bowls. Place them into the freezer or fridge to get them cold before you ladle out and serve the soup.

Another problem with cold soups is that many lack a stick-to-your-ribs quality. Gazpacho is delicious—but it often leaves me feeling like I haven't really eaten at all. The trick to making a cold soup satiating is to add fat or protein. These ingredients not only add body to the soup but fill you up as well.

You can fortify the soup with dairy such as yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk. Add a starch, such as a cooked grain or bread soaked in water and then blended into a puree. Incorporate healthy fats such as nuts or avocado. Toss in some protein in the form of cooked beans. Even just blending the vegetables in a thick puree can trick your mouth and stomach into feeling more satisfied.