Cold soup can be a welcome departure from its piping hot counterpart during the heat of summer.

After working in her garden on a hot morning, nothing is better for Joan Vibert than coming in for a lunch of cold gazpacho.

“It’s like heaven,” Vibert says. “It’s all your abundance, all put in a bowl of cold wonderfulness.”

Vibert co-owns Windwalker Farm near Ottawa. Gazpacho is one of the farm’s many food offerings at the Farmers’ Community Market in Kansas City, Mo.

While most people hear “soup” and automatically think of a way to warm up in the winter, Vibert thinks of it just as much as a cold dish that is refreshing in the summer.

Gazpacho is a Spanish soup typically made with a tomato base.

Vibert puts whatever vegetables are in season in her gazpacho. This time of year is prime season, with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, peppers, garlic and jalapeños coming from the garden. She also puts in lemon and lime juice, cider vinegar and a little honey to bring out the sweetness in the tomatoes.

“You can leave things out if you don’t have them, add them if you do,” Vibert says.

She often turns the meal into a sort of panzanella, an Italian salad that includes chunks of bread.

Vibert also is a fan of cold cucumber soup, made by combining cucumbers and sour cream in a blender.

“It’s very refreshing,” she says.

The Circle S Ranch in rural Lawrence, which plays host to a variety of meetings and events, also is known for its Cool Summer Soup. It’s a creamy soup with roasted red peppers.

“It has to be pretty hot out,” owner Mary Cronemeyer says. “I don’t think it would go over as well even in the spring or fall.”

And, inevitably, there are occasional comments about the soup needing to be warmed up.

“Once in awhile there is,” Croneyemer says, “but it’s something we usually have them plan out, so they know.”

Cool summer soup

4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

10 Italian plum tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup milk

Large croutons

In large saucepan, combine roasted peppers, tomatoes, pepper, ginger, chicken broth and lemon juice to taste. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Transfer to blender and puree in small batches. Return to saucepan. Add yogurt, milk and sugar and stir to blend. Chill three to four hours. Serve in chilled bowls and float a large crouton on top for garnish.

Roasting bell peppers: Preheat broiler or grill. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove stem and seeds. If using broiler, place cut side down, on baking sheet, and broil in oven, about three inches from heat until skin blisters and turns black, three to five minutes. If using open grill, place skin-side down and roast until skin is evenly charred. Remove and place skin in the bag. Seal and let steam for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from bag and peel away skin.

Source: Circle S Ranch

Gazpacho

2 pounds large tomatoes, halved

1/2 pound country-style bread, crust removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

1 red bell pepper, seeded, diced

1 cup chopped peeled English hothouse cucumber

1 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 cup water

Working over bowl, gently squeeze tomato halves to release seeds and juices. Strain juices, pressing on solids to extract as much juice as possible (about 1/2 cup). Discard seeds; chop tomatoes. Transfer chopped tomatoes and tomato juices to large glass bowl. Add next nine ingredients. Let stand at room temperature one hour.

Working in batches, puree gazpacho with 1 cup water in blender until smooth. Pour gazpacho into coarse strainer set over large bowl. Press on solids to extract as much soup as possible. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least two hours and up to one day. Serve cold.

Source:www.epicurious.com

Cold cucumber soup

6 pounds cucumbers (about 6 cucumbers), peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (12 cups)

2 yellow bell peppers, stem and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

4 green onions, chopped

2 jalapeño peppers, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

3 to 4 garlic cloves, mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups plain yogurt

3 cups sour cream, divided

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Combine the cucumbers, bell peppers, green onions, jalapeños, cilantro, mint, dill, garlic, Creole seasoning, salt, cayenne, yogurt, 2 cups sour cream, olive oil and white wine vinegar in a large bowl. Working in batches, puree the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the soup to the refrigerator until well-chilled, at least 2 hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve the soup, with each bowl garnished with a dollop of the remaining sour cream and some of the minced chives.

Source:www.foodnetwork.com

Cold Borscht

3 large or 4 medium fresh beets

Juice of 1 1/2 lemons, approximately

Salt

Pinch of sour salt (optional)

5 cups water

2 extra large whole eggs or 4 yolks

Pinch of sugar, if needed

White pepper to taste

Garnishes: sour cream and (optional) boiled potatoes

Wash and peel the beets and cut into fine dice, or grate on the coarse side of a grater. Place in a saucepan with the juice of 1/2 lemon, a pinch each of salt and sour salt and the 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the beets are tender, about 40 minutes. Add the juice of another 1/2 lemon. Remove from the heat.

Using whole eggs results in a creamier, thicker borscht, but it is much trickier to add the hot beet soup to the whole eggs without having them coagulate. If you feel inexperienced with this process, use just the yolks. In either case, beat the eggs with a fork until they are thin and watery. Slowly ladle some of the hot borscht into the eggs, beating constantly. When about half the soup has been added, pour the egg mixture back into the pot with the remaining soup; again pour slowly and beat constantly. When all the egg mixture is beaten into the soup, pour the soup back and forth between the pot and a bowl or pitcher about 10 or 15 times until the mixture is smooth, airy and creamy. Halfway through, add more lemon juice to produce a wine-like effect; add a tiny pinch of sugar, if necessary, and salt and white pepper as needed. Continue pouring to blend. Chill thoroughly.

It is best to add sour cream shortly before serving so that the borscht will keep longer. The sour cream can simply be served on the side, to be spooned in at the table. Or you can add sour cream (about 1 heaping tablespoonful per cupful of borscht) to the soup in a jar. Close tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Fluffy, dry, hot boiled potato is wonderful in the middle of this ice-cold soup.

Source:www.epicurious.com