Summertime Soup Ideas

Not all hearty soups are served hot, there are a fair number of them meant to be served chilled which take advantage of summer's natural bounty. Gazpacho and vichyssoise are two cold-soup classics that spring to mind, but are by no means the only ones.

How does Roasted Red Pepper Soup sound? In a pinch, you can use jarred roasted peppers, but roasting your own is much more tasty. Other main ingredients include cilantro, plain yogurt and chicken stock. The full recipe for this healthy chilled soup is at www.bostonmamas.com/2009/07/summertime_soup.html. Want to use up your garden's cucumbers? Try this variant on a classic Cucumber Gazpacho, at food.ivillage.com/recipefinder/display/0,,gb6p,00.html.

Chilled fruit soups are European favorites that balance sweet and tart flavors. For recipes like Peachy Ginger Soup, Strawberry Champagne Soup, Honeydew Blueberry Soup, or variants on gazpacho that feature mango, pineapple or watermelon, check out allrecipes.com/HowTo/Cold-Summer-Soups/Detail.aspx. This site also features cold vegetable soups like Green Pea and Mint Soup, Chilled Beet Soup. and Sweet and Spicy Soup with Black-Eyed Peas and Sweet Potato.

For a hot and hearty vegetable soup that keeps your kitchen cool, use your slow cooker to make this savory Farmer's Market Summer Vegetable Soup that incorporates fresh corn, zucchini, squash and tomatoes with fresh basil, garlic and onion. You can find the full recipe at www.examiner.com/x-7386-Nashville-Healthy-Food-Examiner~y2009m8d3-Farmers-market-summer-vegetable-soup-recipe.

You're sure to find a few new favorites to help you use up the bounty from your garden.