Embrace These Cold Soups All Summer Long

It’s that special time of year when 10 a.m. greets you with a temperature of 84°F and 79% humidity, at least that’s the case here in New York City. There’s nothing in the world that could make me put a steaming hot breakfast into this already sweaty, still-indoors body. What I’m craving is the full-body relief of a meal that’s cold and bracing. When the weather gets too hot, consider cold summer soups.

I use the term “soup” loosely, to refer to any dish that is roughly half liquid, needs to be served in a bowl, or tends to pool and puddle. In many countries, cold soup-like dishes, like tangy Bulgarian tarator, sweet Hungarian meggyleves, or savory Japanese hiyajiru or simple dashi, are something to look forward to in the summer months.

The textures of the crispy ice, chewy tapioca, and soft fruit or jelly are a blast. Cold summer soups hit your mouth with their icy temperature, coat your tastebuds with sweet or savory flavors, and make their way to your tummy to cool you from the inside out. In Thailand, one of my favorite snacks is cold coconut milk with crushed ice and any combination of chopped fruit, colorful jellies, and chewy tapioca, like tub tim grob.

Make your cold soups more interesting:

Making your own cold summer soup is as easy as picking a few ingredients, thinking about the consistency, and deciding if you want to lean sweet or savory. If you like a fully blended, smooth consistency, focus on a primary ingredient and keep it simple. Make a juicy, tangy soup by blending two cups of ripe watermelon with a couple of chopped, in-season tomatoes—give it a thorough blitz and serve with a pinch of salt and chopped fresh herbs like mint or tarragon. If your tastes skew a little more verdant, try a fresh pea soup for a simple and satisfying seasonal treat.

For a blenderless soup, make a base with thinned plain yogurt or coconut milk with crushed ice. Add chopped fruits like strawberries, ripe jackfruit, melon, or cut grapes. If you want a savory soup, you can add salt, fresh herbs, and cut veggies like chopped cucumber, beets, or sliced sugar snap peas. You could even stick with your favorite broth-based soup and just chill it down before eating. As long as there isn’t a lot of saturated fat in the soup (which would become solid and chunky when cooled), the soup will be cooling, smooth, and satisfying. (With any of these soups, if there are any unwanted fibers or bits of fat, you can always pass it through a strainer or fine mesh nut-milk bag.)

I prefer full-fat coconut milk in most dishes, but this is an occasion where I use lite coconut milk. The wateriness works since I’ll add crushed ice to it anyway, and I can still enjoy the coconut flavor without it feeling too heavy.