by Judy Eichner

When traveling through North or South America, Southern Italy and/or Provence in France in the warm and hot weather you will find many restaurants with a variety of cold soups on the menu. This is especially true when the weather is exceedingly hot.  People everywhere enjoy a cup or bowl of cold soup with a side salad and a crusty bread as the temperatures rise.  Here are three recipes for soups to try as the warm weather continues to engulf us.

Icy Cucumber Soup

• 2 medium cucumbers
• 1 small onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Dash of white pepper

Coarsely grate cucumbers and onion into a mixing bowl.  Add chives, sugar, salt, mustard and sour cream.  Gradually stir in the buttermilk.  Let ripen in the refrigerator for at least four hours.  Serve icy cold with a sprinkling of chives on top.  This recipe will serve about 6 people.

Summer Squash Soup

• 48 to 64 ounces of chicken broth
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 10 medium yellow squash chopped
• 3 ounces package of cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 16 ounces of sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine onion, broth and squash in saucepan and simmer until vegetables are tender.  Add cream cheese, curry powder and salt and pepper and puree in a blender or food processor.  Serve cold with a dollop of sour cream. This soup can also be served hot, if preferred.

Chilled Orange Carrot Soup

• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 4 cups of thinly sliced carrots
• ½ cup sliced onion
• ¼ teaspoon of finely ground ginger
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups orange juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish – orange slices, grated carrots and chopped fresh mint

In a large saucepan, melt the butter, add the carrots, onion, ginger and sauté until tender.  Stir in two cups of chicken broth, bring to a boil, and cover.  Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, about 30-40 minutes.  In a blender or food processor, puree half of carrot mixture at a time until nearly smooth.  Return to pan or bowl, stir in remaining broth and orange juice and adjust seasoning.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Serve topped with a slice of orange, grated carrot and mint.

Publishers Note: Don’t forget about gazpacho! If you aren’t in the mood to chop all those vegs and dig out the food processor, you will find some very tasty versions in various textures at these three advertisers, Landini Brothers, River Bend Bistro and Frankie’s Kitchen & Cocktail Bar. We are confident that many of our other advertisers have it on their summer menu’s but we haven’t tried them yet! Guess we have to get out more!!