Cold soup recipes: 5 easy-to-make chilled soup recipes with no exotic ingredients

Chilled soup recipes are a good way to have your favourite veggies in summer

Do not shy away from having soups in summers just because they are hot. We give you recipes of five delicious chilled soups that are not only flavoursome but have a high health quotient too. They are easy to rustle up at home, don't take long time preparing and are a good way to have your favourite seasonal veggies and seasonings.

You cannot go wrong if you follow tips by chefs.

Scarlet Melon Soup

By Chef Kapil Dubey, Executive Chef, The Leela Gandhinagar

“This beautiful deep red soup has several healthy ingredients like ginger, Himalayan pink salt etc and their combination with cucumber, water melon and mint gives it beautiful cooling flavour and texture, making it just what you need for summers.”

Portion size: Serves two

Ingredients: Cucumber, 1 large; Himalayan pink salt, to taste; Bird eye chilli, half slice; Ginger, 01 slice; Lemon, 5 ml; Tomato, 02 regular; Watermelon, 200 gm (seedless); Mint, 10 gm

Method: Wash and cut the cucumber in slices / Take a clean bowl, add the cut cucumber, half slice of chili, ginger slice, dash of lemon juice and just toss well / Meanwhile, roughly cut the tomato, watermelon and dress with some fresh mint leaves / Add all the ingredients and some crushed ice and churn smoothly in a food processor / Pour it in a soup bowl  and serve it chilled.

Chef’s tip: Finish the seasoning with black pepper, Himalayan pink salt and garnish with a blanched cherry tomato and serve with a pesto lavash or sourdough bread.

Chilled Avocado Soup

By Chef Amit Sharma, Love and Cheesecake, Mumbai

“This soup allows you to experiment with toppings of your choice as avocado pairs well with a variety of toppings, such as chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco, or sour cream. You can add other flavours to your avocado soup, such as garlic, onion, jalapeño, or cumin. Just be sure to balance the flavours so that the avocado remains the star ingredient.”

Ingredients: Ripe avocados, 2; Plain Greek yoghurt, 1/2 cup; Vegetable broth, 1/2 cup;  Chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup; Chopped scallions, 1/4 cup;  Cloves garlic, 2 (minced); Fresh lime juice, 2 tbsp; Olive oil, 1 tbsp; Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: Diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh cilantro

Method:  Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender / Add the Greek yoghurt, vegetable broth, cilantro, scallions, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the blender. Blend until smooth / Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour / When ready to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with diced tomatoes, sliced jalapenos, and chopped fresh cilantro, if desired.

Chef’s tips: Choose ripe avocados but not overripe. They should be slightly soft to the touch, but not mushy / Add acid: Acid, such as lime or lemon juice, helps balance the richness of the avocado and adds brightness to the soup.

Organic Beets & Walnut Soup

By Simran Singh Thapar, Executive Chef, The Leela Palace Bengaluru

“Farmed organic beets, toasted walnuts, vine ripened tomatoes - the rich nutrient profile of this soup contributes to the many health benefits associated with beets and walnuts, such as improved gut health, reduced inflammation, and improved heart disease risk.”

Ingredients: Olive Oil Pomace, 1 tsp; Cumin seed (dry Roast, crushed), 1/2  tsp; Garlic (chopped), 1 tsp; Carrot (chopped), 1 tsp; Onion Chopped); 1      tbsp; Celery (chopped), 1 tsp; Beetroot (roasted, peeled, diced), 2 medium size; Tomato (diced), 2 small size; Walnut (roasted), 1 tbsp; Himalayan pink salt, To taste; Peppercorn (dry roast, crushed), 1/2  tsp; Microgreens, To garnish; Lemon (for juice), 1 medium size; Olive Oil E.V, 1 tsp

Method: Pomace oil in a pan and add garlic, carrot, onion, celery, beetroot (retain a small part of the roasted and diced beetroot for garnishing while serving), tomatoes, Himalayan salt and half the walnuts / Keep stirring the contents of the pan and add 4 cups of water / Bring the water to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes / Blend the contents of the pan to a fine puree. Pass the puree through a fine mesh to get a thick pulp. Add 1– 1.5 cups of water to the pulp to get it to a soup consistency and add the crushed cumin and peppercorn / Allow the prepared soup to chill in a refrigerator for 2 hours / Serve chilled with half of the walnuts and diced roasted beets reserved for garnish. Use microgreens if available /  Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive oil while serving for enhancing the flavour.

Chef’s tip: Check the seasoning of the soup again after chilling as the perception of seasoning with temperature change also changes.

Chilled Cucumber Soup

By Deepak Dandge, Executive Chef, The Orchid Hotel Mumbai

Ingredients:

For the soup: English cucumbers (peeled, seeded, & chopped), 2; Unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup; Garlic cloves, 2;  Fresh basil leaves, 4-5; Green onion, 2;  Sweet apple (peeled & cored), 1; Juice of ½ lime; Himalayan pink salt (or to taste), ½ tsp;  water to thin (optional, if needed)

For the garnish: Diced cucumber, diced red pepper, slivered almonds

Method: Place all of the soup ingredients into a high speed blender and purée until smooth. Add water (or additional almond milk) to thin, if needed / Transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to chill / Once chilled, pour in soup bowl and serve garnished with diced cucumber, red peppers, and silvered almonds.

Chef’s tip: If you want to give your chilled cucumber soup a unique twist, try garnishing it with edible flowers or herbs like lavender or mint. Not only will it add a pop of colour to your soup, but it will also elevate the overall taste and aroma. Add a pinch black salt and voila. You can use regular cucumbers too but choose leaner ones which have less seeds.

Chilled Pea and Mint Soup

By Gagandeep Sawhney, Executive Chef, Shangri-La Eros New Delhi

"Mint has anti-inflammatory properties and can help keep your skin fresh and healthy during the summer. Peas are a rich source of fibre. I recommend this excellent combination for a perfect summer lunch paired with a salad bowl of your choice"

Ingredients: Green peas, 100 gm; Mint, 5 gm; Thyme, 1 gm; Onion, 15 gm; Olive oil, 15 ml; Mascarpone, 10 gm; Cucumber, 15 gm; Salt, 2 gm; Black pepper, 2 gm

Method: Blanch green peas in boiling hot water for about a minute and then take them out and put it in chilled water / Take a pan, put it on medium flame, add olive oil and chopped onion. Saute until it becomes translucent and then add thyme and cook for few seconds / Add blanched peas and seasoning, cook for 2-3 minutes and then add some vegetable stock and let it cook for few seconds / Remove from stove and let it cool down / Blend mint, mascarpone, cucumber and remove thyme from pea mixture, then blend altogether until it becomes fine puree / keep it in fridge and let it chill for an hour / Pour in a soup cup and garnish with some mint leaves. Serve.