Food And Drink: Cold Summer Soups

Gazpacho and cucumber soups are old favorites--but vary your routine by drawing from the cuisines of other cultures.

Savory Vegetable Soups
The king of cold soups is gazpacho. This Spanish soup has multiple variations, but the famous tomato-based gazpacho that originated in Andalucia in southern Spain has its roots in Roman and Moorish cuisines. Made with stale bread, olive oil, garlic, ground almonds and vinegar, this ancient soup is called ajo blanco, a "white gazpacho." After tomatoes and peppers were brought back to Spain from the New World, they were added to the soup. Today's versions can be made with tropical fruits, avocados, corn and even watermelon.

Vichyssoise is another cold savory soup that has enjoyed decades of popularity. It was created by a French chef, Louis Diat, at New York's Ritz-Carlton Hotel in 1917. Made of pureed potatoes and leeks, the soup is enriched with a swirl of cream before serving. Vichyssoise is easy to prepare and makes any meal feel like a special occasion.

Gazpacho and Tomato-Based Soup Recipes

Hearty Hot or Cold Roasted Tomato Soup
Andalusian Gazpacho
Gazpacho Andaluz
Gazpacho I
Gazpacho II
Chilled Tomato and Avocado Soup
Tomato Basil Soup II

Vichyssoise Recipes